diff --git a/src/library/compiler/emit_cpp.cpp b/src/library/compiler/emit_cpp.cpp
index ecc1708f0a..a6507ac622 100644
--- a/src/library/compiler/emit_cpp.cpp
+++ b/src/library/compiler/emit_cpp.cpp
@@ -909,6 +909,10 @@ static void emit_initialize(std::ostream & out, environment const & env, module_
         expr const & code = d.snd();
         if (!is_lambda(code)) {
             out << " " << to_cpp_name(env, n) << " = " << to_cpp_init_name(env, n) << "();\n";
+            expr type = get_constant_ll_type(env, n);
+            if (is_pi(type) || is_enf_object_type(type)) {
+                out << "lean::mark_persistent(" << to_cpp_name(env, n) << ");\n";
+            }
         }
     }
     out << "}\n";
diff --git a/src/runtime/object.cpp b/src/runtime/object.cpp
index b3d65c027f..0bbf5d688a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/object.cpp
+++ b/src/runtime/object.cpp
@@ -760,14 +760,14 @@ void deactivate_task(task_object * t) {
     g_task_manager->deactivate_task(t);
 }
 
-void to_mt(object * o);
-static obj_res to_mt_fn(obj_arg o) {
-    to_mt(o);
+void mark_mt(object * o);
+static obj_res mark_mt_fn(obj_arg o) {
+    mark_mt(o);
     dec(o);
     return box(0);
 }
 
-void to_mt(object * o) {
+void mark_mt(object * o) {
     if (is_scalar(o) || !is_st_heap_obj(o)) return;
     o->m_mem_kind = static_cast<unsigned>(object_memory_kind::MTHeap);
 
@@ -780,47 +780,47 @@ void to_mt(object * o) {
     case object_kind::PArrayPush:
     case object_kind::PArraySet:
     case object_kind::PArrayRoot:
-        /* `to_mt` cannot be used with parray. They must be copied when used in multiple threads. */
+        /* `mark_mt` cannot be used with parray. They must be copied when used in multiple threads. */
         lean_unreachable();
         return;
     case object_kind::External: {
-        object * fn = alloc_closure(reinterpret_cast<void*>(to_mt_fn), 1, 0);
+        object * fn = alloc_closure(reinterpret_cast<void*>(mark_mt_fn), 1, 0);
         to_external(o)->for_each_nested(fn);
         dec(fn);
         return;
     }
     case object_kind::Task:
-        to_mt(task_get(o));
+        mark_mt(task_get(o));
         return;
     case object_kind::Constructor: {
         object ** it  = cnstr_obj_cptr(o);
         object ** end = it + cnstr_num_objs(o);
-        for (; it != end; ++it) to_mt(*it);
-        break;
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_mt(*it);
+        return;
     }
     case object_kind::Closure: {
         object ** it  = closure_arg_cptr(o);
         object ** end = it + closure_num_fixed(o);
-        for (; it != end; ++it) to_mt(*it);
-        break;
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_mt(*it);
+        return;
     }
     case object_kind::Array: {
         object ** it  = array_cptr(o);
         object ** end = it + array_size(o);
-        for (; it != end; ++it) to_mt(*it);
-        break;
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_mt(*it);
+        return;
     }
     case object_kind::Thunk:
-        if (object * c = to_thunk(o)->m_closure) to_mt(c);
-        if (object * v = to_thunk(o)->m_value) to_mt(v);
-        break;
+        if (object * c = to_thunk(o)->m_closure) mark_mt(c);
+        if (object * v = to_thunk(o)->m_value) mark_mt(v);
+        return;
     }
 }
 
 task_object::task_object(obj_arg c, unsigned prio):
     object(object_kind::Task, object_memory_kind::MTHeap), m_value(nullptr), m_imp(new imp(c, prio)) {
     lean_assert(is_closure(c));
-    to_mt(c);
+    mark_mt(c);
 }
 
 task_object::task_object(obj_arg v):
@@ -960,6 +960,69 @@ b_obj_res io_wait_any_core(b_obj_arg task_list) {
     return g_task_manager->wait_any(task_list);
 }
 
+void mark_persistent(object * o);
+static obj_res mark_persistent_fn(obj_arg o) {
+    mark_persistent(o);
+    return box(0);
+}
+
+void mark_persistent(object * o) {
+    if (is_scalar(o) || !is_heap_obj(o)) return;
+    o->m_mem_kind = static_cast<unsigned>(object_memory_kind::Persistent);
+
+    switch (get_kind(o)) {
+    case object_kind::ScalarArray:
+    case object_kind::String:
+    case object_kind::MPZ:
+        return;
+    case object_kind::PArrayPop:
+        mark_persistent(to_parray(o)->m_next);
+        return;
+    case object_kind::PArrayPush:
+    case object_kind::PArraySet:
+        mark_persistent(to_parray(o)->m_elem);
+        mark_persistent(to_parray(o)->m_next);
+        return;
+    case object_kind::PArrayRoot: {
+        object ** it  = to_parray(o)->m_data;
+        object ** end = it + to_parray(o)->m_size;
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_persistent(*it);
+        return;
+    }
+    case object_kind::External: {
+        object * fn = alloc_closure(reinterpret_cast<void*>(mark_persistent_fn), 1, 0);
+        to_external(o)->for_each_nested(fn);
+        dec(fn);
+        return;
+    }
+    case object_kind::Task:
+        mark_persistent(task_get(o));
+        return;
+    case object_kind::Constructor: {
+        object ** it  = cnstr_obj_cptr(o);
+        object ** end = it + cnstr_num_objs(o);
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_persistent(*it);
+        return;
+    }
+    case object_kind::Closure: {
+        object ** it  = closure_arg_cptr(o);
+        object ** end = it + closure_num_fixed(o);
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_persistent(*it);
+        return;
+    }
+    case object_kind::Array: {
+        object ** it  = array_cptr(o);
+        object ** end = it + array_size(o);
+        for (; it != end; ++it) mark_persistent(*it);
+        return;
+    }
+    case object_kind::Thunk:
+        if (object * c = to_thunk(o)->m_closure) mark_persistent(c);
+        if (object * v = to_thunk(o)->m_value) mark_persistent(v);
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
 // =======================================
 // Natural numbers
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/object.h b/src/runtime/object.h
index 2974639864..0b9222cc6a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/object.h
+++ b/src/runtime/object.h
@@ -388,6 +388,9 @@ inline void obj_set_data(object * o, size_t offset, T v) {
     *(reinterpret_cast<T *>(reinterpret_cast<char *>(o) + offset)) = v;
 }
 
+/* Mark all objects reachable from `o` as persistent */
+void mark_persistent(object * o);
+
 // =======================================
 // Constructor auxiliary functions