diff --git a/core/runtime/core.odin b/core/runtime/core.odin
index 105b2bde6..5f4ecc7fc 100644
--- a/core/runtime/core.odin
+++ b/core/runtime/core.odin
@@ -528,16 +528,6 @@ copy :: proc{copy_slice, copy_from_string};
 
 
 
-
-@builtin
-pop :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> E {
-	if array == nil do return E{};
-	assert(len(array) > 0);
-	res := #no_bounds_check array[len(array)-1];
-	(^Raw_Dynamic_Array)(array).len -= 1;
-	return res;
-}
-
 @builtin
 unordered_remove :: proc(array: ^$D/[dynamic]$T, index: int, loc := #caller_location) {
 	bounds_check_error_loc(loc, index, len(array));
@@ -557,8 +547,42 @@ ordered_remove :: proc(array: ^$D/[dynamic]$T, index: int, loc := #caller_locati
 	pop(array);
 }
 
+
 @builtin
-pop_front :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> (E, bool) #no_bounds_check {
+pop :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> E {
+	if len(array) == 0 {
+		return E{};
+	}
+	assert(len(array) > 0);
+	res := #no_bounds_check array[len(array)-1];
+	(^Raw_Dynamic_Array)(array).len -= 1;
+	return res;
+}
+
+
+@builtin
+pop_safe :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> (E, bool) {
+	if len(array) == 0 {
+		return E{}, false;
+	}
+	res :=  #no_bounds_check array[len(array)-1];
+	(^Raw_Dynamic_Array)(array).len -= 1;
+	return res, true;
+}
+
+@builtin
+pop_front :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> E #no_bounds_check {
+	assert(len(array) > 0);
+	res := array[0];
+	if len(array) > 1 {
+		copy(array[0:], array[1:]);
+	}
+	(^Raw_Dynamic_Array)(array).len -= 1;
+	return res;
+}
+
+@builtin
+pop_front_safe :: proc(array: ^$T/[dynamic]$E) -> (E, bool) #no_bounds_check {
 	if len(array) == 0 {
 		return E{}, false;
 	}
diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index 2156a8102..021194b79 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -976,8 +976,8 @@ irValue *ir_value_param(irProcedure *parent, Entity *e, Type *abi_type, i32 inde
 	if (e != nullptr && abi_type != e->type) {
 		if (is_type_pointer(abi_type)) {
 			GB_ASSERT(e->kind == Entity_Variable);
-			Type *av = type_deref(abi_type);
-			if (are_types_identical(av, e->type)) {
+			Type *av = core_type(type_deref(abi_type));
+			if (are_types_identical(av, core_type(e->type))) {
 				v->Param.kind = irParamPass_Pointer;
 				if (e->flags&EntityFlag_Value) {
 					v->Param.kind = irParamPass_ConstRef;
@@ -3246,8 +3246,8 @@ irValue *ir_emit_call(irProcedure *p, irValue *value, Array<irValue *> const &ar
 			array_add(&processed_args, args[i]);
 		} else if (!are_types_identical(original_type, new_type)) {
 			if (is_type_pointer(new_type) && !is_type_pointer(original_type)) {
-				Type *av = type_deref(new_type);
-				if (are_types_identical(av, original_type)) {
+				Type *av = core_type(type_deref(new_type));
+				if (are_types_identical(av, core_type(original_type))) {
 					if (e->flags&EntityFlag_ImplicitReference) {
 						array_add(&processed_args, ir_address_from_load_or_generate_local(p, args[i]));
 					} else if (!is_type_pointer(arg_type)) {
diff --git a/src/llvm_backend.cpp b/src/llvm_backend.cpp
index 050bff9e3..1ee517dcd 100644
--- a/src/llvm_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/llvm_backend.cpp
@@ -2273,8 +2273,8 @@ lbValue lb_value_param(lbProcedure *p, Entity *e, Type *abi_type, i32 index, lbP
 	if (e != nullptr && !are_types_identical(abi_type, e->type)) {
 		if (is_type_pointer(abi_type)) {
 			GB_ASSERT(e->kind == Entity_Variable);
-			Type *av = type_deref(abi_type);
-			if (are_types_identical(av, e->type)) {
+			Type *av = core_type(type_deref(abi_type));
+			if (are_types_identical(av, core_type(e->type))) {
 				kind = lbParamPass_Pointer;
 				if (e->flags&EntityFlag_Value) {
 					kind = lbParamPass_ConstRef;
@@ -7041,8 +7041,8 @@ lbValue lb_emit_call(lbProcedure *p, lbValue value, Array<lbValue> const &args,
 			array_add(&processed_args, args[i]);
 		} else if (!are_types_identical(original_type, new_type)) {
 			if (is_type_pointer(new_type) && !is_type_pointer(original_type)) {
-				Type *av = type_deref(new_type);
-				if (are_types_identical(av, arg_type)) {
+				Type *av = core_type(type_deref(new_type));
+				if (are_types_identical(av, core_type(original_type))) {
 					if (e->flags&EntityFlag_ImplicitReference) {
 						array_add(&processed_args, lb_address_from_load_or_generate_local(p, args[i]));
 					} else if (!is_type_pointer(arg_type)) {