diff --git a/BRANCH_TODO b/BRANCH_TODO
index 8feb2601d..2f253670a 100644
--- a/BRANCH_TODO
+++ b/BRANCH_TODO
@@ -10,5 +10,3 @@ get an empty file compiling successfully (with no panic fn override)
 
 uncomment all the behavior tests
 
-look at all the ir_gen_node ir_gen_node_extra calls and make sure result locations are properly propagated
-            return ir_gen_comptime(irb, scope, node, lval);
diff --git a/src/all_types.hpp b/src/all_types.hpp
index 218df5b42..c74c8fd4b 100644
--- a/src/all_types.hpp
+++ b/src/all_types.hpp
@@ -3247,8 +3247,8 @@ struct IrInstructionTypeName {
 struct IrInstructionDeclRef {
     IrInstruction base;
 
-    Tld *tld;
     LVal lval;
+    Tld *tld;
 };
 
 struct IrInstructionPanic {
diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index 42e5b23ce..b9bd3a9d5 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -4166,8 +4166,14 @@ static IrInstruction *ir_gen_symbol(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *scope, AstNode *node,
     }
 
     Tld *tld = find_decl(irb->codegen, scope, variable_name);
-    if (tld)
-        return ir_build_decl_ref(irb, scope, node, tld, lval);
+    if (tld) {
+        IrInstruction *decl_ref = ir_build_decl_ref(irb, scope, node, tld, lval);
+        if (lval == LValPtr) {
+            return decl_ref;
+        } else {
+            return ir_expr_wrap(irb, scope, decl_ref, result_loc);
+        }
+    }
 
     if (get_container_scope(node->owner)->any_imports_failed) {
         // skip the error message since we had a failing import in this file
@@ -16503,7 +16509,7 @@ static IrInstruction *ir_analyze_instruction_phi(IrAnalyze *ira, IrInstructionPh
         IrInstruction *branch_instruction = predecessor->instruction_list.pop();
         ir_set_cursor_at_end(&ira->new_irb, predecessor);
         IrInstruction *casted_value = ir_implicit_cast(ira, new_value, resolved_type);
-        if (casted_value == ira->codegen->invalid_instruction) {
+        if (type_is_invalid(casted_value->value.type)) {
             return ira->codegen->invalid_instruction;
         }
         new_incoming_values.items[i] = casted_value;