diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/machine.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/machine.go
index 95f1a90fa2a..8665e049e9f 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/machine.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/machine.go
@@ -1627,33 +1627,25 @@ func (m *Machine) PushFrameCall(cx *CallExpr, fv *FuncValue, recv TypedValue) {
 	}
 	m.Package = pv
 	rlm := pv.GetRealm()
-	if rlm != nil && m.Realm != rlm {
-		m.Realm = rlm // enter new realm
-	} else if rlm == nil && recv.V != nil { // XXX maybe improve this part.
-		// maybe this is a bound method of a recv of a realm.
-		// in that case, inherit the realm of the receiver.
-		recvv := recv.V
-		// deref if pointer.
-		// XXX I guess we want to deref as much as possible.
-		for {
-			if pv, ok := recvv.(PointerValue); ok {
-				recvv = pv.Deref().V
-			} else {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		// Now check if it is an object.
-		obj, ok := recvv.(Object)
-		if ok {
+	if rlm == nil && recv.IsDefined() {
+		// if bound method, get realm from receiver.
+		obj := recv.GetFirstObject(m.Store)
+		if obj == nil {
+			// panic("XXX not sure why this would be")
+			fmt.Println("XXX XXX", recv.String())
+		} else {
 			recvOID := obj.GetObjectInfo().ID
 			if !recvOID.IsZero() {
-				recvPVOID := ObjectIDFromPkgID(recvOID.PkgID)
-				pv := m.Store.GetObject(recvPVOID).(*PackageValue)
-				rlm := pv.GetRealm()
-				m.Realm = rlm
+				recvPkgOID := ObjectIDFromPkgID(recvOID.PkgID)
+				pv := m.Store.GetObject(recvPkgOID).(*PackageValue)
+				rlm = pv.GetRealm() // done
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if rlm != nil && m.Realm != rlm {
+		// enter new realm
+		m.Realm = rlm
+	}
 }
 
 func (m *Machine) PushFrameGoNative(cx *CallExpr, fv *NativeValue) {
diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/ownership.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/ownership.go
index f2afc393d05..39f9af27ecb 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/ownership.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/ownership.go
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ func (tv *TypedValue) GetFirstObject(store Store) Object {
 		// something in it; in that case, ignore the base.  That will
 		// likely require maybe a preparation step in persistence
 		// ( or unlikely, a second type of ref-counting).
+		// XXX is there an issue with Base=nil pointers here cross realm?
 		if cv.Base != nil {
 			return cv.Base.(Object)
 		} else {
diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/realm.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/realm.go
index 1a442e8d3e5..f4a4b17dcb5 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/realm.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/realm.go
@@ -70,16 +70,11 @@ func (pid PkgID) Bytes() []byte {
 }
 
 func PkgIDFromPkgPath(path string) PkgID {
+	// fmt.Printf("PkgPath %s -> PkgID %v", path,
+	//	PkgID{HashBytes([]byte(path))})
 	return PkgID{HashBytes([]byte(path))}
 }
 
-// func ObjectIDFromPkgPath(path string) ObjectID {
-// 	return ObjectID{
-// 		PkgID:   PkgIDFromPkgPath(path),
-// 		NewTime: 1, // by realm logic.
-// 	}
-// }
-
 // Returns the ObjectID of the PackageValue associated with path.
 func ObjectIDFromPkgPath(path string) ObjectID {
 	pkgID := PkgIDFromPkgPath(path)
@@ -159,6 +154,10 @@ func (rlm *Realm) DidUpdate(po, xo, co Object) {
 		return // do nothing.
 	}
 	if po.GetObjectID().PkgID != rlm.ID {
+		// fmt.Println("PO", po.String())
+		// fmt.Println("PO.PKGID", po.GetObjectID().PkgID)
+		// fmt.Println("rlm", rlm)
+		// fmt.Println("rlm.ID", rlm.ID)
 		panic("cannot modify external-realm or non-realm object")
 	}
 	// From here on, po is real (not new-real).