diff --git a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
index 8e1e5e82c31..56f8ca66c2f 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
@@ -2209,6 +2209,12 @@ mod unify {
         if (eq_ty(expected, actual)) { ret ures_ok(expected); }
 
         alt (struct(cx.tcx, actual)) {
+
+            // a _|_ type can be used anywhere
+            case (ty::ty_bot) {
+                ret ures_ok(expected);
+            }
+       
             // If the RHS is a variable type, then just do the appropriate
             // binding.
             case (ty::ty_var(?actual_id)) {
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index df030d72ce8..47585b4bb73 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -1341,17 +1341,13 @@ mod pushdown {
                     ann_to_type(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx.node_types, ann), adk);
 
                 auto then_t = ty::block_ty(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, then_0);
-                if (!ty::type_is_bot(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, then_t)) {
-                    pushdown_block(scx, expected, then_0);
-                }
+                pushdown_block(scx, expected, then_0);
 
                 alt (else_0) {
                     case (none[@ast::expr]) { /* no-op */ }
                     case (some[@ast::expr](?e_0)) {
                         auto else_t = ty::expr_ty(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, e_0);
-                        if (!ty::type_is_bot(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, else_t)) {
-                            pushdown_expr(scx, expected, e_0);
-                        }
+                        pushdown_expr(scx, expected, e_0);
                     }
                 }
                 write::ty_only_fixup(scx, ann.id, t);
@@ -1472,10 +1468,7 @@ mod pushdown {
                 for (ast::arm arm_0 in arms_0) {
                     pushdown_block(scx, expected, arm_0.block);
                     auto bty = block_ty(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, arm_0.block);
-                    // Failing alt arms don't need to have a matching type
-                    if (!ty::type_is_bot(scx.fcx.ccx.tcx, bty)) {
-                        t = demand::simple(scx, e.span, t, bty);
-                    }
+                    t = demand::simple(scx, e.span, t, bty);
                 }
                 write::ty_only_fixup(scx, ann.id, t);
             }
@@ -2245,8 +2238,6 @@ fn check_expr(&@stmt_ctxt scx, &@ast::expr expr) {
 
             pushdown::pushdown_expr(scx, pattern_ty, expr);
 
-            // FIXME: If all the the arms were ty_bot then the result should
-            // also be ty_bot. At the moment this doesn't seem to matter
             write::ty_only_fixup(scx, a.id, result_ty);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/test/run-fail/alt-bot-fail.rs b/src/test/run-fail/alt-bot-fail.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b580f5a2b0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-fail/alt-bot-fail.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// xfail-stage0
+// xfail-stage1
+// xfail-stage2
+// xfail-stage3
+use std;
+import std::option::*;
+
+fn foo(str s) {
+}
+
+fn main() {
+  auto i = alt (some[int](3)) {
+    case (none[int]) {
+      fail
+    }
+    case (some[int](_)) {
+      fail
+    }
+  };
+  foo(i);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/alt-bot.rs b/src/test/run-pass/alt-bot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6be748da3c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/alt-bot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// xfail-stage0
+use std;
+import std::option::*;
+
+fn main() {
+  let int i = alt (some[int](3)) {
+    case (none[int]) {
+      fail
+    }
+    case (some[int](_)) {
+      5
+    }
+  };
+  log i;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/if-bot.rs b/src/test/run-pass/if-bot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6545eedfc85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/if-bot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+fn main() {
+  let int i = if (false) {
+    fail
+  }
+  else {
+    5
+      };
+  log i;
+}
\ No newline at end of file