diff --git a/compiler/solve/src/solve.rs b/compiler/solve/src/solve.rs
index 6afb812a78..aa5488b7eb 100644
--- a/compiler/solve/src/solve.rs
+++ b/compiler/solve/src/solve.rs
@@ -428,6 +428,7 @@ impl Env {
         it1.zip(it2)
     }
 
+    #[inline(always)]
     fn get_var_by_symbol(&self, symbol: &Symbol) -> Option<Variable> {
         self.symbols
             .iter()
@@ -435,6 +436,7 @@ impl Env {
             .map(|index| self.variables[index])
     }
 
+    #[inline(always)]
     fn insert_symbol_var_if_vacant(&mut self, symbol: Symbol, var: Variable) {
         match self.symbols.iter().position(|s| *s == symbol) {
             None => {
@@ -725,23 +727,27 @@ fn solve(
 
                 // check that things went well
                 debug_assert!({
-                    // NOTE the `subs.redundant` check is added for the uniqueness
-                    // inference, and does not come from elm. It's unclear whether this is
-                    // a bug with uniqueness inference (something is redundant that
-                    // shouldn't be) or that it just never came up in elm.
                     let rigid_vars = &constraints.variables[let_con.rigid_vars.indices()];
 
-                    let failing: Vec<_> = rigid_vars
+                    // NOTE the `subs.redundant` check does not come from elm.
+                    // It's unclear whether this is a bug with our implementation
+                    // (something is redundant that shouldn't be)
+                    // or that it just never came up in elm.
+                    let mut it = rigid_vars
                         .iter()
                         .filter(|&var| !subs.redundant(*var) && subs.get_rank(*var) != Rank::NONE)
-                        .collect();
+                        .peekable();
 
-                    if !failing.is_empty() {
+                    if it.peek().is_some() {
+                        let failing: Vec<_> = it.collect();
                         println!("Rigids {:?}", &rigid_vars);
                         println!("Failing {:?}", failing);
-                    }
 
-                    failing.is_empty()
+                        // nicer error message
+                        failing.is_empty()
+                    } else {
+                        true
+                    }
                 });
 
                 let mut new_env = env.clone();
diff --git a/compiler/types/src/types.rs b/compiler/types/src/types.rs
index fd8d9e12f0..2c73f95435 100644
--- a/compiler/types/src/types.rs
+++ b/compiler/types/src/types.rs
@@ -2270,7 +2270,11 @@ pub fn gather_fields_unsorted_iter(
             Structure(Record(sub_fields, sub_ext)) => {
                 stack.push(*sub_fields);
 
-                var = *sub_ext;
+                if var == Variable::EMPTY_RECORD {
+                    break;
+                } else {
+                    var = *sub_ext;
+                }
             }
 
             Alias(_, _, actual_var, _) => {