T cells are exhausted and overexpress inhibitory molecules in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is unclear whether this is the cause or consequence of HCV persistence. By studying serial blood and liver samples of chimpanzees during acute infection, we demonstrate that the early expression of the memory precursor marker CD127 on HCV-specific T cells, but not the expression of inhibitory molecules on those T cells or their ligands in the liver, predicts the outcome of acute infection.