diff --git a/src/kernels.jl b/src/kernels.jl
index d5deb40..5c6b0ef 100644
--- a/src/kernels.jl
+++ b/src/kernels.jl
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function transduce_impl(rf::F, init, arrays...) where {F}
     length(ys) == 1 && return @allowscalar ys[1]
     rf2 = AlwaysCombine(rf)
     while true
-        ys, = _transduce!(buf, rf2, CombineInit(), ys)
+        ys, = _transduce!(buf, rf2, init, ys)
         # @info "ys, = _transduce!(buf, rf2, ...)" Text(summary(ys))
         # @info "ys, = _transduce!(buf, rf2, ...)" collect(ys)
         length(ys) == 1 && return @allowscalar ys[1]
@@ -282,8 +282,6 @@ function transduce_kernel!(
     return
 end
 
-struct CombineInit end
-
 struct AlwaysCombine{I} <: AbstractReduction{I}
     inner::I
 end
@@ -293,8 +291,7 @@ AlwaysCombine(rf::Transducers.R_{Map}) = AlwaysCombine(Transducers.inner(rf))
 AlwaysCombine(rf::Transducers.BottomRF) = AlwaysCombine(Transducers.inner(rf))
 =#
 
-@inline Transducers.start(::AlwaysCombine, init::CombineInit) = init
-@inline Transducers.next(::AlwaysCombine, ::CombineInit, input) = first(input)
+@inline Transducers.start(rf::AlwaysCombine, init) = start(rf.inner, init)
 @inline Transducers.next(rf::F, acc, input) where {F<:AlwaysCombine} =
     _combine(rf.inner, acc, first(input))
 @inline Transducers.complete(rf::F, result) where {F<:AlwaysCombine} =
diff --git a/src/shfl.jl b/src/shfl.jl
index 7ab8128..96111c2 100644
--- a/src/shfl.jl
+++ b/src/shfl.jl
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ function transduce_shfl_impl(rf::F, init, arrays...) where {F}
     # @info "ys, = transduce_shfl!(nothing, rf, ...)" collect(ys)
     length(ys) == 1 && return @allowscalar ys[1]
     rf2 = AlwaysCombine(rf)
-    combine_init = init  # require type-stable init
-    @assert start(rf, init) === init
     while true
-        ys, = transduce_shfl!(buf, rf2, combine_init, ys)
+        ys, = transduce_shfl!(buf, rf2, init, ys)
         # @info "ys, = transduce_shfl!(buf, rf2, ...)" Text(summary(ys))
         # @info "ys, = transduce_shfl!(buf, rf2, ...)" collect(ys)
         length(ys) == 1 && return @allowscalar ys[1]