diff --git a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build_dict.rs b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build_dict.rs
index cda4316fc1..06e0dd4e14 100644
--- a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build_dict.rs
+++ b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/build_dict.rs
@@ -336,35 +336,13 @@ fn zig_dict_to_struct<'a, 'ctx, 'env>(
     env: &Env<'a, 'ctx, 'env>,
     zig_dict: StructValue<'ctx>,
 ) -> StructValue<'ctx> {
-    let builder = env.builder;
-
-    // get the RocStr type defined by zig
-    let zig_str_type = env.module.get_struct_type("dict.RocDict").unwrap();
-
-    let ret_type = BasicTypeEnum::StructType(collection(env.context, env.ptr_bytes));
-
-    // a roundabout way of casting (LLVM does not accept a standard bitcast)
-    let allocation = builder.build_alloca(zig_str_type, "zig_result");
-
-    builder.build_store(allocation, zig_dict);
-
-    let ptr3 = builder
-        .build_bitcast(
-            allocation,
-            env.context.i128_type().ptr_type(AddressSpace::Generic),
-            "cast",
-        )
-        .into_pointer_value();
-
-    let ptr4 = builder
-        .build_bitcast(
-            ptr3,
-            ret_type.into_struct_type().ptr_type(AddressSpace::Generic),
-            "cast",
-        )
-        .into_pointer_value();
-
-    builder.build_load(ptr4, "load").into_struct_value()
+    complex_bitcast(
+        env.builder,
+        zig_dict.into(),
+        crate::llvm::convert::dict(env.context, env.ptr_bytes).into(),
+        "to_zig_dict",
+    )
+    .into_struct_value()
 }
 
 fn struct_to_zig_dict<'a, 'ctx, 'env>(
diff --git a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/convert.rs b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/convert.rs
index 5687e32b52..590776bcbf 100644
--- a/compiler/gen/src/llvm/convert.rs
+++ b/compiler/gen/src/llvm/convert.rs
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ pub fn basic_type_from_builtin<'ctx>(
         Float64 => context.f64_type().as_basic_type_enum(),
         Float32 => context.f32_type().as_basic_type_enum(),
         Float16 => context.f16_type().as_basic_type_enum(),
-        Dict(_, _) | EmptyDict => collection(context, ptr_bytes).into(),
+        Dict(_, _) | EmptyDict => dict(context, ptr_bytes).into(),
         Set(_) | EmptySet => panic!("TODO layout_to_basic_type for Builtin::Set"),
         List(_, _) | Str | EmptyStr => collection(context, ptr_bytes).into(),
         EmptyList => BasicTypeEnum::StructType(collection(context, ptr_bytes)),
@@ -260,6 +260,16 @@ pub fn collection(ctx: &Context, ptr_bytes: u32) -> StructType<'_> {
     ctx.struct_type(&[u8_ptr.into(), usize_type.into()], false)
 }
 
+pub fn dict(ctx: &Context, ptr_bytes: u32) -> StructType<'_> {
+    let usize_type = ptr_int(ctx, ptr_bytes);
+    let u8_ptr = ctx.i8_type().ptr_type(AddressSpace::Generic);
+
+    ctx.struct_type(
+        &[u8_ptr.into(), usize_type.into(), usize_type.into()],
+        false,
+    )
+}
+
 pub fn ptr_int(ctx: &Context, ptr_bytes: u32) -> IntType<'_> {
     match ptr_bytes {
         1 => ctx.i8_type(),