diff --git a/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.cpp b/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.cpp
index cbe0ddce6..528913749 100644
--- a/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.cpp
+++ b/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.cpp
@@ -367,6 +367,9 @@ sc_simcontext::init()
 void
 sc_simcontext::clean()
 {
+    // remove remaining zombie processes
+    do_collect_processes();
+
     delete m_method_invoker_p;
     delete m_error;
     delete m_cor_pkg;
@@ -516,14 +519,8 @@ sc_simcontext::crunch( bool once )
 	    }
 	}
 
-	// remove finally dead zombies:
-
-        while( ! m_collectable->empty() )
-        {
-	    sc_process_b* del_p = m_collectable->front();
-	    m_collectable->pop_front();
-	    del_p->reference_decrement();
-        }
+        // remove finally dead zombies:
+        do_collect_processes();
 
 
 	// UPDATE PHASE
@@ -975,6 +972,15 @@ sc_simcontext::mark_to_collect_process( sc_process_b* zombie )
     m_collectable->push_back( zombie );
 }
 
+void sc_simcontext::do_collect_processes()
+{
+    while( ! m_collectable->empty() )
+    {
+        sc_process_b* del_p = m_collectable->front();
+        m_collectable->pop_front();
+        del_p->reference_decrement();
+    }
+}
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //"sc_simcontext::stop"
diff --git a/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.h b/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.h
index 4b40e3efe..9fc12d2b3 100644
--- a/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.h
+++ b/src/sysc/kernel/sc_simcontext.h
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ class SC_API sc_simcontext
     void do_sc_stop_action();
     void do_timestep( const sc_time& );
     void mark_to_collect_process( sc_process_b* zombie_p );
+    void do_collect_processes();
 
     sc_method_handle remove_process( sc_method_handle );
     sc_thread_handle remove_process( sc_thread_handle );