diff --git a/compiler/can/src/expr.rs b/compiler/can/src/expr.rs
index aef77617ba..d915954456 100644
--- a/compiler/can/src/expr.rs
+++ b/compiler/can/src/expr.rs
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ pub enum Expr {
     },
     /// field accessor as a function, e.g. (.foo) expr
     Accessor {
+        function_var: Variable,
         record_var: Variable,
         closure_var: Variable,
         ext_var: Variable,
@@ -550,6 +551,7 @@ pub fn canonicalize_expr<'a>(
         }
         ast::Expr::AccessorFunction(field) => (
             Accessor {
+                function_var: var_store.fresh(),
                 record_var: var_store.fresh(),
                 ext_var: var_store.fresh(),
                 closure_var: var_store.fresh(),
diff --git a/compiler/constrain/src/expr.rs b/compiler/constrain/src/expr.rs
index 4fccddbff6..57e79ce785 100644
--- a/compiler/constrain/src/expr.rs
+++ b/compiler/constrain/src/expr.rs
@@ -675,6 +675,7 @@ pub fn constrain_expr(
             )
         }
         Accessor {
+            function_var,
             field,
             record_var,
             closure_var,
@@ -701,16 +702,19 @@ pub fn constrain_expr(
                 region,
             );
 
+            let function_type = Type::Function(
+                vec![record_type],
+                Box::new(Type::Variable(*closure_var)),
+                Box::new(field_type),
+            );
+
             exists(
-                vec![*record_var, *closure_var, field_var, ext_var],
+                vec![*record_var, *function_var, *closure_var, field_var, ext_var],
                 And(vec![
+                    Eq(function_type.clone(), expected, category.clone(), region),
                     Eq(
-                        Type::Function(
-                            vec![record_type],
-                            Box::new(Type::Variable(*closure_var)),
-                            Box::new(field_type),
-                        ),
-                        expected,
+                        function_type,
+                        NoExpectation(Variable(*function_var)),
                         category,
                         region,
                     ),
diff --git a/compiler/constrain/src/uniq.rs b/compiler/constrain/src/uniq.rs
index 7a59332de3..942cf8c650 100644
--- a/compiler/constrain/src/uniq.rs
+++ b/compiler/constrain/src/uniq.rs
@@ -1445,6 +1445,7 @@ pub fn constrain_expr(
         }
 
         Accessor {
+            function_var,
             field,
             record_var,
             closure_var,
@@ -1490,6 +1491,7 @@ pub fn constrain_expr(
             exists(
                 vec![
                     *record_var,
+                    *function_var,
                     *closure_var,
                     *field_var,
                     *ext_var,
@@ -1497,7 +1499,16 @@ pub fn constrain_expr(
                     field_uniq_var,
                     record_uniq_var,
                 ],
-                And(vec![Eq(fn_type, expected, category, region), record_con]),
+                And(vec![
+                    Eq(fn_type.clone(), expected, category.clone(), region),
+                    Eq(
+                        fn_type,
+                        Expected::NoExpectation(Variable(*function_var)),
+                        category,
+                        region,
+                    ),
+                    record_con,
+                ]),
             )
         }
         RuntimeError(_) => True,
diff --git a/compiler/gen/tests/gen_records.rs b/compiler/gen/tests/gen_records.rs
index ffcb65cca3..0e4f5859fd 100644
--- a/compiler/gen/tests/gen_records.rs
+++ b/compiler/gen/tests/gen_records.rs
@@ -678,15 +678,15 @@ mod gen_records {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn just_to_be_sure() {
+    fn accessor() {
         assert_evals_to!(
             indoc!(
                 r#"
-                { a: 1, b : 2, c : 3 }
+                .foo { foo: 4 } + .foo { bar: 6.28, foo: 3 }
                 "#
             ),
-            [1, 2, 3],
-            [i64; 3]
+            7,
+            i64
         );
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/mono/src/ir.rs b/compiler/mono/src/ir.rs
index 42a4c5217f..0f2305b1ac 100644
--- a/compiler/mono/src/ir.rs
+++ b/compiler/mono/src/ir.rs
@@ -1959,7 +1959,65 @@ pub fn with_hole<'a>(
             stmt
         }
 
-        Accessor { .. } | Update { .. } => todo!("record access/accessor/update"),
+        Accessor {
+            function_var,
+            record_var,
+            closure_var: _,
+            ext_var,
+            field_var,
+            field,
+        } => {
+            // IDEA: convert accessor fromt
+            //
+            // .foo
+            //
+            // into
+            //
+            // (\r -> r.foo)
+            let record_symbol = env.unique_symbol();
+            let body = roc_can::expr::Expr::Access {
+                record_var,
+                ext_var,
+                field_var,
+                loc_expr: Box::new(Located::at_zero(roc_can::expr::Expr::Var(record_symbol))),
+                field: field.clone(),
+            };
+
+            let loc_body = Located::at_zero(body);
+
+            let name = env.unique_symbol();
+
+            let arguments = vec![(
+                record_var,
+                Located::at_zero(roc_can::pattern::Pattern::Identifier(record_symbol)),
+            )];
+
+            match procs.insert_anonymous(
+                env,
+                name,
+                function_var,
+                arguments,
+                loc_body,
+                field_var,
+                layout_cache,
+            ) {
+                Ok(layout) => {
+                    // TODO should the let have layout Pointer?
+                    Stmt::Let(
+                        assigned,
+                        Expr::FunctionPointer(name, layout.clone()),
+                        layout,
+                        hole,
+                    )
+                }
+
+                Err(_error) => Stmt::RuntimeError(
+                    "TODO convert anonymous function error to a RuntimeError string",
+                ),
+            }
+        }
+
+        Update { .. } => todo!("record access/accessor/update"),
 
         Closure {
             function_type,
diff --git a/compiler/mono/src/layout.rs b/compiler/mono/src/layout.rs
index 94233d33e7..ad9f4d16fd 100644
--- a/compiler/mono/src/layout.rs
+++ b/compiler/mono/src/layout.rs
@@ -406,15 +406,19 @@ fn layout_from_flat_type<'a>(
             ))
         }
         Record(fields, ext_var) => {
-            debug_assert!(ext_var_is_empty_record(subs, ext_var));
-
             // Sort the fields by label
             let mut sorted_fields = Vec::with_capacity_in(fields.len(), arena);
+            sorted_fields.extend(fields.into_iter());
 
-            for tuple in fields {
-                sorted_fields.push(tuple);
+            // extract any values from the ext_var
+            let mut fields_map = MutMap::default();
+            match roc_types::pretty_print::chase_ext_record(subs, ext_var, &mut fields_map) {
+                Ok(()) | Err((_, Content::FlexVar(_))) => {}
+                Err(_) => unreachable!("this would have been a type error"),
             }
 
+            sorted_fields.extend(fields_map.into_iter());
+
             sorted_fields.sort_by(|(label1, _), (label2, _)| label1.cmp(label2));
 
             // Determine the layouts of the fields, maintaining sort order
@@ -781,16 +785,6 @@ fn ext_var_is_empty_tag_union(_: &Subs, _: Variable) -> bool {
     unreachable!();
 }
 
-#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
-fn ext_var_is_empty_record(subs: &Subs, ext_var: Variable) -> bool {
-    // the ext_var is empty
-    let mut ext_fields = MutMap::default();
-    match roc_types::pretty_print::chase_ext_record(subs, ext_var, &mut ext_fields) {
-        Ok(()) | Err((_, Content::FlexVar(_))) => ext_fields.is_empty(),
-        Err((_, content)) => panic!("invalid content in ext_var: {:?}", content),
-    }
-}
-
 #[cfg(not(debug_assertions))]
 fn ext_var_is_empty_record(_: &Subs, _: Variable) -> bool {
     // This should only ever be used in debug_assert! macros