diff --git a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
index 292a39e42e77b..323ca7fab756d 100644
--- a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
@@ -3304,6 +3304,10 @@ function typeinf_local(interp::AbstractInterpreter, frame::InferenceState)
             end
             if rt === Bottom
                 ssavaluetypes[currpc] = Bottom
+                # Special case: Union typed PhiNodes do not error (but must also be unused)
+                if isa(stmt, PhiNode)
+                    continue
+                end
                 @goto find_next_bb
             end
             if changes !== nothing
diff --git a/base/compiler/optimize.jl b/base/compiler/optimize.jl
index 2e8c6f913d365..96f5e5f840e6a 100644
--- a/base/compiler/optimize.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/optimize.jl
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ function convert_to_ircode(ci::CodeInfo, sv::OptimizationState)
             idx += 1
             prevloc = codeloc
         end
-        if ssavaluetypes[idx] === Union{} && !(oldidx in sv.unreachable)
+        if ssavaluetypes[idx] === Union{} && !(oldidx in sv.unreachable) && !isa(code[idx], PhiNode)
             # We should have converted any must-throw terminators to an equivalent w/o control-flow edges
             @assert !isterminator(code[idx])
 
diff --git a/test/compiler/interpreter_exec.jl b/test/compiler/interpreter_exec.jl
index ce0704be15178..2e5fa09dd9a9e 100644
--- a/test/compiler/interpreter_exec.jl
+++ b/test/compiler/interpreter_exec.jl
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ let m = Meta.@lower 1 + 1
         ReturnNode(SSAValue(6)),
     ]
     nstmts = length(src.code)
-    src.ssavaluetypes = Any[ Any for _ = 1:nstmts ]
+    src.ssavaluetypes = nstmts
     src.ssaflags = fill(UInt8(0x00), nstmts)
     src.codelocs = fill(Int32(1), nstmts)
-    src.inferred = true
     Core.Compiler.verify_ir(Core.Compiler.inflate_ir(src))
     global test29262 = true
     @test :a === @eval $m
@@ -61,13 +60,13 @@ let m = Meta.@lower 1 + 1
         ReturnNode(SSAValue(18)),
     ]
     nstmts = length(src.code)
-    src.ssavaluetypes = Any[ Any for _ = 1:nstmts ]
+    src.ssavaluetypes = nstmts
     src.ssaflags = fill(UInt8(0x00), nstmts)
     src.codelocs = fill(Int32(1), nstmts)
-    src.inferred = true
     Core.Compiler.verify_ir(Core.Compiler.inflate_ir(src))
     global test29262 = true
     @test (:b, :a, :c, :c) === @eval $m
+    src.ssavaluetypes = nstmts
     global test29262 = false
     @test (:b, :a, :c, :b) === @eval $m
 end
@@ -98,10 +97,9 @@ let m = Meta.@lower 1 + 1
         ReturnNode(SSAValue(11)),
     ]
     nstmts = length(src.code)
-    src.ssavaluetypes = Any[ Any for _ = 1:nstmts ]
+    src.ssavaluetypes = nstmts
     src.ssaflags = fill(UInt8(0x00), nstmts)
     src.codelocs = fill(Int32(1), nstmts)
-    src.inferred = true
     Core.Compiler.verify_ir(Core.Compiler.inflate_ir(src))
     global test29262 = true
     @test :a === @eval $m