diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh b/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
index 3bbe0ad88620..e0e2b095c6a8 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ ValueList * EvalState::allocList()
     return new (allocBytes(sizeof(ValueList))) ValueList();
 }
 
+template <typename T>
+[[gnu::always_inline]]
+ValueList * EvalState::allocListFromInitializerList(std::initializer_list<T> values)
+{
+    return new (allocBytes(sizeof(ValueList))) ValueList(values);
+}
+
 
 [[gnu::always_inline]]
 Value * EvalState::allocValue()
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 3ac12d85df45..a4dd1f132abe 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "fetch-to-store.hh"
 #include "tarball.hh"
 #include "parser-tab.hh"
+#include "value.hh"
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -1294,6 +1295,10 @@ void ExprLet::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
 
 void ExprList::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
 {
+    // TODO(@connorbaker): Tried to switch to using transient here, but started getting this error:
+    // Value::type: invalid internal type: -183796896
+    // That's an indication the value is being used after it's been freed. Not sure why that's happening.
+    // NOTE: Running with GC_DONT_GC=1 doesn't seem to trigger the error, so it's likely a GC issue.
     auto list = state.allocList();
     for (auto & i : elems)
         *list = list->push_back(i->maybeThunk(state, env));
@@ -1896,15 +1901,14 @@ void ExprOpConcatLists::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
 {
     auto v1 = state.allocValue(); 
     e1->eval(state, env, *v1);
+    state.forceList(*v1, pos, "in the left operand of the list concatenation operator");
     auto v2 = state.allocValue();
     e2->eval(state, env, *v2);
-    // TODO(@connorbaker): This kills me -- why do we need to create the list on the heap? Shouldn't I be able to pass
-    // a ValueList by value to concatLists without worrying about it being garbage collected *while the function is running*?
-    // If this doesn't work, then should I allocList in the test cases?
+    state.forceList(*v2, pos, "in the right operand of the list concatenation operator");
+
     auto list = state.allocList();
-    *list = list->push_back(v1);
-    *list = list->push_back(v2);
-    state.concatLists(v, *list, pos, "while evaluating one of the elements to concatenate");
+    *list = v1->list() + v2->list();
+    v.mkList(list);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index a1887f93d508..5941ac41fe58 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -699,6 +699,8 @@ public:
      * Allocation primitives.
      */
     inline ValueList * allocList();
+    template <typename T>
+    inline ValueList * allocListFromInitializerList(std::initializer_list<T> values);
     inline Value * allocValue();
     inline Env & allocEnv(size_t size);
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/value.hh b/src/libexpr/value.hh
index ede3f9fda389..4c14a628204f 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/value.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/value.hh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <immer/memory_policy.hpp>
 #include <immer/refcount/no_refcount_policy.hpp>
 #include <immer/flex_vector.hpp>
+#include <immer/flex_vector_transient.hpp>
 
 // declare a memory policy for using a tracing garbage collector
 using gc_policy = immer::memory_policy<immer::heap_policy<immer::gc_heap>,
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ class BindingsBuilder;
 
 // alias the vector type so we are not concerned about memory policies
 // in the places where we actually use it
-typedef immer::flex_vector<nix::Value *, gc_policy> ValueList;
+typedef immer::flex_vector<nix::Value *, gc_policy, 5U, 5U> ValueList;
+typedef immer::flex_vector_transient<nix::Value *, gc_policy, 5U, 5U> ValueListTransient;
 
 typedef enum {
     tUninitialized = 0,
diff --git a/tests/functional/lang/eval-fail-list.err.exp b/tests/functional/lang/eval-fail-list.err.exp
index d492f8bd2e43..3ad791dc4d5a 100644
--- a/tests/functional/lang/eval-fail-list.err.exp
+++ b/tests/functional/lang/eval-fail-list.err.exp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 error:
-       … while evaluating one of the elements to concatenate
+       … in the left operand of the list concatenation operator
          at /pwd/lang/eval-fail-list.nix:1:2:
             1| 8++1
              |  ^