diff --git a/src/eval/eval_ir.c b/src/eval/eval_ir.c
index 450204e0..78c2bf10 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_ir.c
+++ b/src/eval/eval_ir.c
@@ -1275,13 +1275,13 @@ e_push_irtree_and_type_from_expr(Arena *arena, E_IRTreeAndType *root_overridden,
       case E_ExprKind_Call:
       {
         E_Expr *lhs = expr->first;
-        E_IRTreeAndType lhs_irtree = e_push_irtree_and_type_from_expr(arena, overridden, disallow_autohooks, disallow_chained_fastpaths, 1, lhs);
+        E_IRTreeAndType lhs_irtree = e_push_irtree_and_type_from_expr(arena, overridden, disallow_autohooks, 1, 1, lhs);
         e_msg_list_concat_in_place(&result.msgs, &lhs_irtree.msgs);
         E_TypeKey lhs_type_key = lhs_irtree.type_key;
         E_Type *lhs_type = e_type_from_key__cached(lhs_type_key);
         
         // rjf: calling a type? -> treat as a cast of that type
-        if(lhs_irtree.mode == E_Mode_Null)
+        if(lhs_irtree.mode == E_Mode_Null && lhs_type != &e_type_nil)
         {
           E_IRTreeAndType casted_tree = e_push_irtree_and_type_from_expr(arena, overridden, disallow_autohooks, 1, disallow_chained_casts, expr->first->next);
           e_msg_list_concat_in_place(&result.msgs, &casted_tree.msgs);
@@ -2543,21 +2543,3 @@ e_expr_irext_deref(Arena *arena, E_Expr *rhs, E_IRTreeAndType *rhs_irtree)
   e_expr_push_child(root, rhs_bytecode);
   return root;
 }
-
-internal E_Expr *
-e_expr_irext_cast(Arena *arena, E_Expr *rhs, E_IRTreeAndType *rhs_irtree, E_TypeKey type_key)
-{
-  E_Expr *root = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_Cast, 0);
-  E_Expr *rhs_bytecode = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_LeafBytecode, rhs->location);
-  E_OpList rhs_oplist = e_oplist_from_irtree(arena, rhs_irtree->root);
-  rhs_bytecode->string = e_string_from_expr(arena, rhs, str8_zero());
-  rhs_bytecode->space = rhs->space;
-  rhs_bytecode->mode = rhs_irtree->mode;
-  rhs_bytecode->type_key = rhs_irtree->type_key;
-  rhs_bytecode->bytecode = e_bytecode_from_oplist(arena, &rhs_oplist);
-  E_Expr *lhs = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_TypeIdent, 0);
-  lhs->type_key = type_key;
-  e_expr_push_child(root, lhs);
-  e_expr_push_child(root, rhs_bytecode);
-  return root;
-}
diff --git a/src/eval/eval_ir.h b/src/eval/eval_ir.h
index 314659bc..973d17de 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_ir.h
+++ b/src/eval/eval_ir.h
@@ -99,6 +99,5 @@ internal String8 e_bytecode_from_oplist(Arena *arena, E_OpList *oplist);
 internal E_Expr *e_expr_irext_member_access(Arena *arena, E_Expr *lhs, E_IRTreeAndType *lhs_irtree, String8 member_name);
 internal E_Expr *e_expr_irext_array_index(Arena *arena, E_Expr *lhs, E_IRTreeAndType *lhs_irtree, U64 index);
 internal E_Expr *e_expr_irext_deref(Arena *arena, E_Expr *rhs, E_IRTreeAndType *rhs_irtree);
-internal E_Expr *e_expr_irext_cast(Arena *arena, E_Expr *rhs, E_IRTreeAndType *rhs_irtree, E_TypeKey type_key);
 
 #endif // EVAL_IR_H
diff --git a/src/eval/eval_parse.c b/src/eval/eval_parse.c
index 1edb9733..00ffd23e 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_parse.c
+++ b/src/eval/eval_parse.c
@@ -334,18 +334,6 @@ e_expr_ref(Arena *arena, E_Expr *ref)
   return expr;
 }
 
-internal E_Expr *
-e_expr_ref_cast(Arena *arena, E_TypeKey type_key, E_Expr *rhs)
-{
-  E_Expr *root = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_Cast, 0);
-  E_Expr *lhs = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_TypeIdent, 0);
-  lhs->type_key = type_key;
-  E_Expr *rhs_ref = e_expr_ref(arena, rhs);
-  e_expr_push_child(root, lhs);
-  e_expr_push_child(root, rhs_ref);
-  return root;
-}
-
 internal E_Expr *
 e_expr_copy(Arena *arena, E_Expr *src)
 {
@@ -1195,7 +1183,7 @@ e_push_parse_from_string_tokens__prec(Arena *arena, String8 text, E_TokenArray t
         // rjf: no identifier after `.`? -> error
         else
         {
-          e_msgf(arena, &result.msgs, E_MsgKind_MalformedInput, token_string.str, "Missing identifier after `.`.");
+          e_msgf(arena, &result.msgs, E_MsgKind_MalformedInput, token_string.str, "Missing member name after `%S`.", token_string);
         }
       }
       
diff --git a/src/eval/eval_parse.h b/src/eval/eval_parse.h
index 54af1689..7ab6a07d 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_parse.h
+++ b/src/eval/eval_parse.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ internal void e_expr_insert_child(E_Expr *parent, E_Expr *prev, E_Expr *child);
 internal void e_expr_push_child(E_Expr *parent, E_Expr *child);
 internal void e_expr_remove_child(E_Expr *parent, E_Expr *child);
 internal E_Expr *e_expr_ref(Arena *arena, E_Expr *ref);
-internal E_Expr *e_expr_ref_cast(Arena *arena, E_TypeKey type_key, E_Expr *rhs);
 internal E_Expr *e_expr_copy(Arena *arena, E_Expr *src);
 internal void e_expr_list_push(Arena *arena, E_ExprList *list, E_Expr *expr);
 
diff --git a/src/raddbg/raddbg_core.c b/src/raddbg/raddbg_core.c
index 9dc1a189..65e178d3 100644
--- a/src/raddbg/raddbg_core.c
+++ b/src/raddbg/raddbg_core.c
@@ -2120,9 +2120,7 @@ rd_commit_eval_value_string(E_Eval dst_eval, String8 string)
           type_kind == E_TypeKind_Enum))
       {
         got_commit_data = 1;
-        E_Expr *src_expr = e_parse_from_string(string).expr;
-        E_Expr *src_expr__casted = e_expr_ref_cast(scratch.arena, type_key, src_expr);
-        E_Eval src_eval = e_eval_from_expr(src_expr__casted);
+        E_Eval src_eval = e_eval_from_stringf("(%S)(%S)", e_type_string_from_key(scratch.arena, type_key), string);
         commit_data = push_str8_copy(scratch.arena, str8_struct(&src_eval.value));
         commit_data.size = Min(commit_data.size, e_type_byte_size_from_key(type_key));
       }