diff --git a/targets/wasm_exec.js b/targets/wasm_exec.js
index e30f3256f..e61fa52ff 100644
--- a/targets/wasm_exec.js
+++ b/targets/wasm_exec.js
@@ -305,8 +305,7 @@
 					"syscall/js.finalizeRef": (v_ref) => {
 						// Note: TinyGo does not support finalizers so this is only called
 						// for one specific case, by js.go:jsString. and can/might leak memory.
-						const id = mem().getUint32(unboxValue(v_ref), true);
-						// Note that this if is so far seemingly never true. Someone should investigate why.
+						const id = v_ref & 0xffffffffn;
 						if (this._goRefCounts?.[id] !== undefined) {
 							this._goRefCounts[id]--;
 							if (this._goRefCounts[id] === 0) {
@@ -316,8 +315,7 @@
 								this._idPool.push(id);
 							}
 						} else {
-							// Log as a hint and reminder that something is probably off.
-							console.log("syscall/js.finalizeRef: unknown id", id);
+							console.error("syscall/js.finalizeRef: unknown id", id);
 						}
 					},