diff --git a/src/cgutils.cpp b/src/cgutils.cpp
index 9a557bedbc56e..8d54ffc2a074c 100644
--- a/src/cgutils.cpp
+++ b/src/cgutils.cpp
@@ -1573,8 +1573,7 @@ static bool emit_getfield_unknownidx(jl_cgval_t *ret, const jl_cgval_t &strct, V
                         builder.CreateGEP(data_pointer(strct, ctx), idx)));
             if ((unsigned)stt->ninitialized != nfields)
                 null_pointer_check(fld, ctx);
-            bool needsgcroot = true; // !strct.isimmutable; // jwn: probably want this as a llvm pass
-            *ret = mark_julia_type(fld, true, jl_any_type, ctx, needsgcroot);
+            *ret = mark_julia_type(fld, true, jl_any_type, ctx, true);
             return true;
         }
         else if (is_tupletype_homogeneous(stt->types)) {
@@ -1586,9 +1585,9 @@ static bool emit_getfield_unknownidx(jl_cgval_t *ret, const jl_cgval_t &strct, V
                 // just compute the pointer and let user load it when necessary
                 Type *fty = julia_type_to_llvm(jt);
                 Value *addr = builder.CreateGEP(builder.CreatePointerCast(ptr, PointerType::get(fty,0)), idx);
-                jl_cgval_t fieldval = mark_julia_slot(addr, jt);
-                fieldval.gcroot = strct.gcroot;
-                *ret = fieldval;
+                *ret = mark_julia_slot(addr, jt);
+                ret->gcroot = strct.gcroot;
+                ret->isimmutable = strct.isimmutable;
                 return true;
             }
             *ret = typed_load(ptr, idx, jt, ctx, stt->mutabl ? tbaa_user : tbaa_immut);
@@ -1653,13 +1652,12 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_getfield_knownidx(const jl_cgval_t &strct, unsigned idx,
         Value *addr =
             builder.CreateGEP(builder.CreateBitCast(boxed(strct, ctx), T_pint8),
                               ConstantInt::get(T_size, jl_field_offset(jt,idx)));
-        MDNode *tbaa = strct.isimmutable ? tbaa_immut : tbaa_user;
+        MDNode *tbaa = jt->mutabl ? tbaa_user : tbaa_immut;
         if (jl_field_isptr(jt, idx)) {
             Value *fldv = tbaa_decorate(tbaa, builder.CreateLoad(builder.CreateBitCast(addr, T_ppjlvalue)));
             if (idx >= (unsigned)jt->ninitialized)
                 null_pointer_check(fldv, ctx);
-            bool needsgcroot = true; // !strct.isimmutable; // jwn: probably want this as a llvm pass
-            jl_cgval_t ret = mark_julia_type(fldv, true, jfty, ctx, needsgcroot);
+            jl_cgval_t ret = mark_julia_type(fldv, true, jfty, ctx, true);
             return ret;
         }
         else {
@@ -1678,6 +1676,7 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_getfield_knownidx(const jl_cgval_t &strct, unsigned idx,
             strct.V, 0, idx);
         assert(!jt->mutabl);
         jl_cgval_t fieldval = mark_julia_slot(addr, jfty);
+        fieldval.isimmutable = strct.isimmutable;
         fieldval.gcroot = strct.gcroot;
         return fieldval;
     }
diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index faffd23bb802d..e06211ee5da30 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -661,6 +661,7 @@ static inline jl_cgval_t mark_julia_slot(Value *v, jl_value_t *typ)
     assert(v->getType() != T_pjlvalue);
     jl_cgval_t tagval(v, NULL, false, typ);
     tagval.ispointer = true;
+    tagval.isimmutable = true;
     return tagval;
 }
 
@@ -782,7 +783,7 @@ static Value *alloc_local(jl_sym_t *s, jl_codectx_t *ctx)
     // CreateAlloca is OK here because alloc_local is only called during prologue setup
     Value *lv = builder.CreateAlloca(vtype, 0, jl_symbol_name(s));
     vi.value = mark_julia_slot(lv, jt);
-    vi.value.isimmutable &= vi.isSA; // slot is not immutable if there are multiple assignments
+    vi.value.isimmutable = false; // slots are not immutable
     assert(vi.value.isboxed == false);
     return lv;
 }
@@ -2977,10 +2978,10 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_call_function_object(jl_lambda_info_t *li, const jl_cgval
             else if (et->isAggregateType()) {
                 assert(at == PointerType::get(et, 0));
                 jl_cgval_t arg = i==0 ? theF : emit_expr(args[i], ctx);
-                if (arg.isimmutable && arg.ispointer) {
+                if (arg.ispointer) {
                     // can lazy load on demand, no copy needed
                     argvals[idx] = data_pointer(arg, ctx, at);
-                    mark_gc_use(arg); // jwn must be after the jlcall
+                    mark_gc_use(arg); // TODO: must be after the jlcall
                 }
                 else {
                     Value *v = emit_unbox(et, arg, jt);
@@ -3220,8 +3221,10 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_var(jl_sym_t *sym, jl_codectx_t *ctx)
     }
 
     jl_varinfo_t &vi = ctx->vars[sym];
-    if (!vi.isArgument && !vi.isAssigned)
+    if (!vi.isArgument && !vi.isAssigned) {
         undef_var_error_if_null(V_null, sym, ctx);
+        return jl_cgval_t();
+    }
     if (vi.memloc) {
         Value *bp = vi.memloc;
         if (vi.isArgument ||  // arguments are always defined
@@ -3236,7 +3239,7 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_var(jl_sym_t *sym, jl_codectx_t *ctx)
             return v;
         }
     }
-    else if (vi.value.isboxed || vi.value.constant || !vi.value.ispointer || (vi.isSA && !vi.isVolatile)) {
+    else if (!vi.isVolatile || !vi.isAssigned) {
         return vi.value;
     }
     else {
diff --git a/src/intrinsics.cpp b/src/intrinsics.cpp
index 165de5ae1dfae..cb68f82a3f6ad 100644
--- a/src/intrinsics.cpp
+++ b/src/intrinsics.cpp
@@ -529,12 +529,6 @@ static jl_cgval_t generic_unbox(jl_value_t *targ, jl_value_t *x, jl_codectx_t *c
 
     Value *vx;
     if (v.ispointer) {
-        // TODO: validate the size and type of the pointer contents
-        if (v.isimmutable && !v.constant) { // wrong type, but can lazy load this later as needed
-            v.typ = bt;
-            v.isboxed = false;
-            return v;
-        }
         vx = builder.CreateLoad(data_pointer(v, ctx, llvmt->getPointerTo()));
     }
     else {