diff --git a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build.rs b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build.rs
index 229ac0ffc6..0f211333f8 100644
--- a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build.rs
+++ b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build.rs
@@ -348,7 +348,6 @@ pub fn build_expr<'a, 'ctx, 'env>(
                 .left()
                 .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("LLVM error: Invalid call by pointer."))
         }
-        LoadWithoutIncrement(_symbol) => todo!("implement load without increment"),
         Load(symbol) => load_symbol(env, scope, symbol),
         Str(str_literal) => {
             if str_literal.is_empty() {
@@ -655,6 +654,31 @@ pub fn build_expr<'a, 'ctx, 'env>(
         }
         RunLowLevel(op, args) => run_low_level(env, layout_ids, scope, parent, *op, args),
 
+        Inc(symbol, expr) => {
+            match scope.get(symbol) {
+                None => panic!("There was no entry for {:?} in scope {:?}", symbol, scope),
+                Some((layout, ptr)) => {
+                    match layout {
+                        Layout::Builtin(Builtin::List(Ownership::Owned, _elem_layout)) => {
+                            let load = env
+                                .builder
+                                .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns));
+
+                            let wrapper_struct = env
+                                .builder
+                                .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns))
+                                .into_struct_value();
+
+                            increment_refcount_list(env, wrapper_struct, load)
+                        }
+                        _ => {
+                            // not refcounted, do nothing special
+                            build_expr(env, layout_ids, scope, parent, expr)
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
         DecAfter(symbol, expr) => {
             match scope.get(symbol) {
                 None => panic!("There was no entry for {:?} in scope {:?}", symbol, scope),
@@ -817,23 +841,9 @@ fn load_symbol<'a, 'ctx, 'env>(
     symbol: &Symbol,
 ) -> BasicValueEnum<'ctx> {
     match scope.get(symbol) {
-        Some((layout, ptr)) => match layout {
-            Layout::Builtin(Builtin::List(Ownership::Owned, _)) => {
-                let load = env
-                    .builder
-                    .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns));
-
-                let wrapper_struct = env
-                    .builder
-                    .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns))
-                    .into_struct_value();
-
-                increment_refcount_list(env, wrapper_struct, load)
-            }
-            _ => env
-                .builder
-                .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns)),
-        },
+        Some((_, ptr)) => env
+            .builder
+            .build_load(*ptr, symbol.ident_string(&env.interns)),
         None => panic!("There was no entry for {:?} in scope {:?}", symbol, scope),
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/mono/src/expr.rs b/compiler/mono/src/expr.rs
index 68e1fe979a..c3974c2b07 100644
--- a/compiler/mono/src/expr.rs
+++ b/compiler/mono/src/expr.rs
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ pub enum Expr<'a> {
     Store(&'a [(Symbol, Layout<'a>, Expr<'a>)], &'a Expr<'a>),
 
     /// RC instructions
-    LoadWithoutIncrement(Symbol),
+    Inc(Symbol, &'a Expr<'a>),
     DecAfter(Symbol, &'a Expr<'a>),
 
     // Functions
diff --git a/compiler/mono/src/reset_reuse.rs b/compiler/mono/src/reset_reuse.rs
index c5eb356916..8315e70755 100644
--- a/compiler/mono/src/reset_reuse.rs
+++ b/compiler/mono/src/reset_reuse.rs
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ pub fn function_r<'a>(env: &mut Env<'a, '_>, body: &'a Expr<'a>) -> Expr<'a> {
         | Byte(_)
         | Load(_)
         | EmptyArray
-        | LoadWithoutIncrement(_)
+        | Inc(_, _)
         | FunctionPointer(_, _)
         | RuntimeError(_)
         | RuntimeErrorFunction(_) => body.clone(),
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ fn function_s<'a>(
         | Byte(_)
         | Load(_)
         | EmptyArray
-        | LoadWithoutIncrement(_)
+        | Inc(_, _)
         | FunctionPointer(_, _)
         | RuntimeError(_)
         | RuntimeErrorFunction(_) => Err(body),
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ fn symbols_in_expr<'a>(initial: &Expr<'a>) -> MutSet<Symbol> {
 
     while let Some(expr) = stack.pop() {
         match expr {
-            FunctionPointer(symbol, _) | LoadWithoutIncrement(symbol) | Load(symbol) => {
+            FunctionPointer(symbol, _) | Load(symbol) => {
                 result.insert(*symbol);
             }
 
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ fn symbols_in_expr<'a>(initial: &Expr<'a>) -> MutSet<Symbol> {
                 stack.push(body)
             }
 
-            DecAfter(symbol, body) => {
+            DecAfter(symbol, body) | Inc(symbol, body) => {
                 result.insert(*symbol);
                 stack.push(body);
             }
diff --git a/compiler/mono/tests/test_mono.rs b/compiler/mono/tests/test_mono.rs
index f40cc05a13..6c25255f67 100644
--- a/compiler/mono/tests/test_mono.rs
+++ b/compiler/mono/tests/test_mono.rs
@@ -1027,4 +1027,52 @@ mod test_mono {
             ),
         )
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn is_nil() {
+        compiles_to_string(
+            r#"
+            isNil = \xs ->
+                when xs is
+                    Nil -> True
+                    Cons _ _ -> False
+
+            isNil Nil
+            "#,
+            indoc!(
+                r#"
+                procedure Test.0 (Test.2):
+                    Store Test.2: Load Test.2
+                    Store Test.3: Lowlevel.And (Lowlevel.Eq true (Load Test.2)) true
+                    if Test.3 then
+                        true
+                    else
+                        false
+                    Dec Test.2
+
+                Call Test.0 true
+                "#
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn y_is_dead() {
+        compiles_to_string(
+            r#"
+            f = \y -> Pair y y
+
+            f [1]
+            "#,
+            indoc!(
+                r#"
+                procedure Test.0 (Test.2):
+                    Struct [(Load(`Test.y`), Builtin(List(Owned, Builtin(Int64)))), (Load(`Test.y`), Builtin(List(Owned, Builtin(Int64))))]
+                    Dec Test.2
+
+                Call Test.0 [ 1i64 ]
+                "#
+            ),
+        )
+    }
 }