diff --git a/src/all_types.hpp b/src/all_types.hpp
index ad5329b457..549fecfbed 100644
--- a/src/all_types.hpp
+++ b/src/all_types.hpp
@@ -1442,7 +1442,6 @@ enum IrInstructionId {
     IrInstructionIdTestErr,
     IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrCode,
     IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrPayload,
-    IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild,
     IrInstructionIdErrWrapCode,
     IrInstructionIdErrWrapPayload,
 };
@@ -2036,12 +2035,6 @@ struct IrInstructionUnwrapErrPayload {
     bool safety_check_on;
 };
 
-struct IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild {
-    IrInstruction base;
-
-    IrInstruction *type_value;
-};
-
 struct IrInstructionMaybeWrap {
     IrInstruction base;
 
diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index e486764db8..6dfa2520bc 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -2191,7 +2191,6 @@ static LLVMValueRef ir_render_instruction(CodeGen *g, IrExecutable *executable,
         case IrInstructionIdIntType:
         case IrInstructionIdMemberCount:
         case IrInstructionIdAlignOf:
-        case IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild:
             zig_unreachable();
         case IrInstructionIdReturn:
             return ir_render_return(g, executable, (IrInstructionReturn *)instruction);
diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index d5dfbea86e..c58b91f604 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -427,10 +427,6 @@ static constexpr IrInstructionId ir_instruction_id(IrInstructionUnwrapErrPayload
     return IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrPayload;
 }
 
-static constexpr IrInstructionId ir_instruction_id(IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *) {
-    return IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild;
-}
-
 static constexpr IrInstructionId ir_instruction_id(IrInstructionMaybeWrap *) {
     return IrInstructionIdMaybeWrap;
 }
@@ -1830,17 +1826,6 @@ static IrInstruction *ir_build_unwrap_err_payload_from(IrBuilder *irb, IrInstruc
     return new_instruction;
 }
 
-static IrInstruction *ir_build_err_union_type_child(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *scope, AstNode *source_node,
-    IrInstruction *type_value)
-{
-    IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *instruction = ir_build_instruction<IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild>(irb, scope, source_node);
-    instruction->type_value = type_value;
-
-    ir_ref_instruction(type_value);
-
-    return &instruction->base;
-}
-
 static void ir_count_defers(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *inner_scope, Scope *outer_scope, size_t *results) {
     results[ReturnKindUnconditional] = 0;
     results[ReturnKindError] = 0;
@@ -3841,9 +3826,8 @@ static IrInstruction *ir_gen_err_ok_or(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *parent_scope, AstN
     Scope *err_scope;
     if (var_node) {
         assert(var_node->type == NodeTypeSymbol);
-        IrInstruction *err_union_ptr_type = ir_build_typeof(irb, parent_scope, var_node, err_union_ptr);
-        IrInstruction *err_union_type = ir_build_ptr_type_child(irb, parent_scope, var_node, err_union_ptr_type);
-        IrInstruction *var_type = ir_build_err_union_type_child(irb, parent_scope, var_node, err_union_type);
+        IrInstruction *var_type = ir_build_const_type(irb, parent_scope, node,
+            irb->codegen->builtin_types.entry_pure_error);
         Buf *var_name = var_node->data.symbol_expr.symbol;
         bool is_const = true;
         bool is_shadowable = false;
@@ -9339,27 +9323,6 @@ static TypeTableEntry *ir_analyze_instruction_unwrap_err_payload(IrAnalyze *ira,
 
 }
 
-static TypeTableEntry *ir_analyze_instruction_err_union_type_child(IrAnalyze *ira,
-    IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *instruction)
-{
-    IrInstruction *type_value = instruction->type_value->other;
-    TypeTableEntry *type_entry = ir_resolve_type(ira, type_value);
-    if (type_entry->id == TypeTableEntryIdInvalid)
-        return type_entry;
-
-    // TODO handle typedefs
-    if (type_entry->id != TypeTableEntryIdErrorUnion) {
-        add_node_error(ira->codegen, instruction->base.source_node,
-                buf_sprintf("expected error type, found '%s'", buf_ptr(&type_entry->name)));
-        return ira->codegen->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
-    }
-
-    ConstExprValue *out_val = ir_build_const_from(ira, &instruction->base,
-            type_value->static_value.depends_on_compile_var);
-    out_val->data.x_type = type_entry->data.error.child_type;
-    return ira->codegen->builtin_types.entry_type;
-}
-
 static TypeTableEntry *ir_analyze_instruction_nocast(IrAnalyze *ira, IrInstruction *instruction) {
     switch (instruction->id) {
         case IrInstructionIdInvalid:
@@ -9500,8 +9463,6 @@ static TypeTableEntry *ir_analyze_instruction_nocast(IrAnalyze *ira, IrInstructi
             return ir_analyze_instruction_unwrap_err_code(ira, (IrInstructionUnwrapErrCode *)instruction);
         case IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrPayload:
             return ir_analyze_instruction_unwrap_err_payload(ira, (IrInstructionUnwrapErrPayload *)instruction);
-        case IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild:
-            return ir_analyze_instruction_err_union_type_child(ira, (IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *)instruction);
         case IrInstructionIdMaybeWrap:
         case IrInstructionIdErrWrapCode:
         case IrInstructionIdErrWrapPayload:
@@ -9659,7 +9620,6 @@ bool ir_has_side_effects(IrInstruction *instruction) {
         case IrInstructionIdTestErr:
         case IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrCode:
         case IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrPayload:
-        case IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild:
         case IrInstructionIdMaybeWrap:
         case IrInstructionIdErrWrapCode:
         case IrInstructionIdErrWrapPayload:
diff --git a/src/ir_print.cpp b/src/ir_print.cpp
index 80ef00d7be..298f72a202 100644
--- a/src/ir_print.cpp
+++ b/src/ir_print.cpp
@@ -849,12 +849,6 @@ static void ir_print_test_err(IrPrint *irp, IrInstructionTestErr *instruction) {
     fprintf(irp->f, ")");
 }
 
-static void ir_print_err_union_type_child(IrPrint *irp, IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *instruction) {
-    fprintf(irp->f, "@errorUnionTypeChild(");
-    ir_print_other_instruction(irp, instruction->type_value);
-    fprintf(irp->f, ")");
-}
-
 static void ir_print_unwrap_err_code(IrPrint *irp, IrInstructionUnwrapErrCode *instruction) {
     fprintf(irp->f, "@unwrapErrorCode(");
     ir_print_other_instruction(irp, instruction->value);
@@ -1109,9 +1103,6 @@ static void ir_print_instruction(IrPrint *irp, IrInstruction *instruction) {
         case IrInstructionIdUnwrapErrPayload:
             ir_print_unwrap_err_payload(irp, (IrInstructionUnwrapErrPayload *)instruction);
             break;
-        case IrInstructionIdErrUnionTypeChild:
-            ir_print_err_union_type_child(irp, (IrInstructionErrUnionTypeChild *)instruction);
-            break;
         case IrInstructionIdMaybeWrap:
             ir_print_maybe_wrap(irp, (IrInstructionMaybeWrap *)instruction);
             break;