diff --git a/recursion/compiler/src/ir/poseidon.rs b/recursion/compiler/src/ir/poseidon.rs
index bf5c8a01d6..66230a2f3b 100644
--- a/recursion/compiler/src/ir/poseidon.rs
+++ b/recursion/compiler/src/ir/poseidon.rs
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ impl<C: Config> Builder<C> {
             }
         });
 
+        let state_idx = self.get(&state_ptr, 0).state_idx;
+        self.if_ne(state_idx, C::N::zero()).then(|builder| {
+            builder.poseidon2_permute_mut(&state);
+        });
+
         state.truncate(self, Usize::Const(DIGEST_SIZE));
         self.cycle_tracker("poseidon2-hash");
         state
diff --git a/recursion/core/src/runtime/mod.rs b/recursion/core/src/runtime/mod.rs
index 5348b415e0..aab012b1f3 100644
--- a/recursion/core/src/runtime/mod.rs
+++ b/recursion/core/src/runtime/mod.rs
@@ -699,11 +699,6 @@ where
                         let (_, state) = self.mr(state_ptr, timestamp);
                         let (_, state_idx) = self.mr(state_ptr + F::two(), timestamp);
 
-                        println!(
-                            "absorb called with state_ptr={}, state={:?}, state_idx={:?}, input={}, input_size={}",
-                            state_ptr, state, state_idx, input, input_size
-                        );
-
                         let state = state[0];
                         let mut state_idx = state_idx[0].as_canonical_u32() as usize;
 
@@ -743,10 +738,6 @@ where
                             }
                         }
 
-                        if state_idx != 0 {
-                            self.perm.as_ref().unwrap().permute_mut(&mut state_array);
-                        }
-
                         state_array.iter().enumerate().for_each(|(i, value)| {
                             self.mw(
                                 state + F::from_canonical_usize(i),