diff --git a/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_records.rs b/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_records.rs
index c799d09a57..a6266b9a0c 100644
--- a/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_records.rs
+++ b/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_records.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #[cfg(feature = "gen-llvm")]
 use crate::helpers::llvm::assert_evals_to;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "gen-llvm")]
+use crate::helpers::llvm::expect_runtime_error_panic;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "gen-dev")]
 use crate::helpers::dev::assert_evals_to;
 
@@ -1007,3 +1010,22 @@ fn both_have_unique_fields() {
         i64
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "gen-llvm"))]
+#[should_panic(
+    // TODO: something upstream is escaping the '
+    expected = r#"Roc failed with message: "Can\'t create record with improper layout""#
+)]
+fn call_with_bad_record_runtime_error() {
+    expect_runtime_error_panic!(indoc!(
+        r#"
+            app "test" provides [ main ] to "./platform"
+
+            main =
+                get : {a: Bool} -> Bool
+                get = \{a} -> a
+                get {b: ""}
+            "#
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
index a74f64eaba..5281eeda9d 100644
--- a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
+++ b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ pub fn test_builtin_defs(symbol: Symbol, var_store: &mut VarStore) -> Option<Def
     builtin_defs_map(symbol, var_store)
 }
 
-// this is not actually dead code, but only used by cfg_test modules
-// so "normally" it is dead, only at testing time is it used
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 fn create_llvm_module<'a>(
     arena: &'a bumpalo::Bump,
@@ -511,16 +509,31 @@ where
 
 #[allow(unused_macros)]
 macro_rules! assert_wasm_evals_to {
-    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr) => {
+    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr, $expect_failure:expr) => {
         match $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to_help::<$ty>($src, $ignore_problems) {
             Err(msg) => panic!("Wasm test failed: {:?}", msg),
             Ok(actual) => {
-                #[allow(clippy::bool_assert_comparison)]
-                assert_eq!($transform(actual), $expected, "Wasm test failed")
+                if $expect_failure {
+                    assert!(false, "Expected failure during wasm execution!")
+                } else {
+                    #[allow(clippy::bool_assert_comparison)]
+                    assert_eq!($transform(actual), $expected, "Wasm test failed")
+                }
             }
         }
     };
 
+    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr) => {
+        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to!(
+            $src,
+            $expected,
+            $ty,
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::identity,
+            $ignore_problems,
+            false
+        );
+    };
+
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty) => {
         $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to!(
             $src,
@@ -538,7 +551,7 @@ macro_rules! assert_wasm_evals_to {
 
 #[allow(unused_macros)]
 macro_rules! assert_llvm_evals_to {
-    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr) => {
+    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr, $expect_rt_error:expr) => {
         use bumpalo::Bump;
         use inkwell::context::Context;
         use roc_gen_llvm::run_jit_function;
@@ -560,26 +573,47 @@ macro_rules! assert_llvm_evals_to {
         );
 
         let transform = |success| {
-            let expected = $expected;
-            #[allow(clippy::redundant_closure_call)]
-            let given = $transform(success);
-            assert_eq!(&given, &expected, "LLVM test failed");
+            if $expect_rt_error {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    true, false,
+                    "Runtime error expected, but evaluation succeeded!"
+                )
+            } else {
+                let expected = $expected;
+                #[allow(clippy::redundant_closure_call)]
+                let given = $transform(success);
+                assert_eq!(&given, &expected, "LLVM test failed");
+            }
         };
         run_jit_function!(lib, main_fn_name, $ty, transform, errors)
     };
 
+    ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr, $ignore_problems:expr) => {
+        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!(
+            $src,
+            $expected,
+            $ty,
+            $transform,
+            $ignore_problems,
+            false
+        );
+    };
+
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty) => {
         $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!(
             $src,
             $expected,
             $ty,
             $crate::helpers::llvm::identity,
+            false,
             false
         );
     };
 
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr) => {
-        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false);
+        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!(
+            $src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false, false
+        );
     };
 }
 
@@ -589,16 +623,43 @@ macro_rules! assert_evals_to {
         assert_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $crate::helpers::llvm::identity);
     }};
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr) => {
-        // Same as above, except with an additional transformation argument.
+        // same as above, except with an additional transformation argument.
         {
             #[cfg(feature = "wasm-cli-run")]
-            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false);
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to!(
+                $src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false, false
+            );
 
-            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false);
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!(
+                $src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false, false
+            );
         }
     };
 }
 
+macro_rules! expect_runtime_error_panic {
+    ($src:expr) => {{
+        #[cfg(feature = "wasm-cli-run")]
+        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_wasm_evals_to!(
+            $src,
+            false, // fake value/type for eval
+            bool,
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::identity,
+            true, // ignore problems
+            true  // expect runtime error
+        );
+
+        $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!(
+            $src,
+            false, // fake value/type for eval
+            bool,
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::identity,
+            true, // ignore problems
+            true  // expect runtime error
+        );
+    }};
+}
+
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 pub fn identity<T>(value: T) -> T {
     value
@@ -617,7 +678,7 @@ macro_rules! assert_non_opt_evals_to {
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr) => {
         // Same as above, except with an additional transformation argument.
         {
-            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $transform, false);
+            $crate::helpers::llvm::assert_llvm_evals_to!($src, $expected, $ty, $transform);
         }
     };
     ($src:expr, $expected:expr, $ty:ty, $transform:expr) => {{
@@ -633,3 +694,5 @@ pub(crate) use assert_llvm_evals_to;
 pub(crate) use assert_non_opt_evals_to;
 #[allow(unused_imports)]
 pub(crate) use assert_wasm_evals_to;
+#[allow(unused_imports)]
+pub(crate) use expect_runtime_error_panic;
diff --git a/examples/hello-world/Hello.roc b/examples/hello-world/Hello.roc
index de5250ff5f..68a25c73df 100644
--- a/examples/hello-world/Hello.roc
+++ b/examples/hello-world/Hello.roc
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@ app "hello-world"
     imports []
     provides [ main ] to pf
 
-main = "Hello, World!\n"
+main =
+    get : {a: Bool} -> Bool
+    get = \{a} -> a
+    get {b: ""}