diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index fa8e069e21..88331e3027 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -5502,38 +5502,19 @@ static void do_code_gen(CodeGen *g) {
             g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_arg = nullptr;
         }
 
+        // error return tracing setup
         bool is_async = fn_table_entry->type_entry->data.fn.fn_type_id.cc == CallingConventionAsync;
         bool have_err_ret_trace_stack = g->have_err_ret_tracing && fn_table_entry->calls_or_awaits_errorable_fn &&
             (is_async || !have_err_ret_trace_arg);
         bool have_exactly_one_err_ret_value = !have_err_ret_trace_stack && g->have_err_ret_tracing && is_async &&
             type_can_fail(fn_table_entry->type_entry->data.fn.fn_type_id.return_type);
+        LLVMValueRef err_ret_array_val = nullptr;
         if (have_err_ret_trace_stack || have_exactly_one_err_ret_value) {
-            TypeTableEntry *usize = g->builtin_types.entry_usize;
             uint32_t ret_addr_count = have_exactly_one_err_ret_value ? 1 : stack_trace_ptr_count;
-            TypeTableEntry *array_type = get_array_type(g, usize, ret_addr_count);
-            LLVMValueRef err_ret_array_val = build_alloca(g, array_type, "error_return_trace_addresses",
+            TypeTableEntry *array_type = get_array_type(g, g->builtin_types.entry_usize, ret_addr_count);
+            err_ret_array_val = build_alloca(g, array_type, "error_return_trace_addresses",
                     get_abi_alignment(g, array_type));
             g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack = build_alloca(g, g->stack_trace_type, "error_return_trace", get_abi_alignment(g, g->stack_trace_type));
-            size_t index_field_index = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[0].gen_index;
-            LLVMValueRef index_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack, (unsigned)index_field_index, "");
-            gen_store_untyped(g, LLVMConstNull(usize->type_ref), index_field_ptr, 0, false);
-
-            size_t addresses_field_index = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[1].gen_index;
-            LLVMValueRef addresses_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack, (unsigned)addresses_field_index, "");
-
-            TypeTableEntry *slice_type = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[1].type_entry;
-            size_t ptr_field_index = slice_type->data.structure.fields[slice_ptr_index].gen_index;
-            LLVMValueRef ptr_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, addresses_field_ptr, (unsigned)ptr_field_index, "");
-            LLVMValueRef zero = LLVMConstNull(usize->type_ref);
-            LLVMValueRef indices[] = {zero, zero};
-            LLVMValueRef err_ret_array_val_elem0_ptr = LLVMBuildInBoundsGEP(g->builder, err_ret_array_val,
-                    indices, 2, "");
-            gen_store(g, err_ret_array_val_elem0_ptr, ptr_field_ptr,
-                    get_pointer_to_type(g, get_pointer_to_type(g, usize, false), false));
-
-            size_t len_field_index = slice_type->data.structure.fields[slice_len_index].gen_index;
-            LLVMValueRef len_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, addresses_field_ptr, (unsigned)len_field_index, "");
-            gen_store(g, LLVMConstInt(usize->type_ref, ret_addr_count, false), len_field_ptr, get_pointer_to_type(g, usize, false));
         } else {
             g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack = nullptr;
         }
@@ -5628,6 +5609,32 @@ static void do_code_gen(CodeGen *g) {
             }
         }
 
+        // finishing error return trace setup. we have to do this after all the allocas.
+        if (have_err_ret_trace_stack || have_exactly_one_err_ret_value) {
+            uint32_t ret_addr_count = have_exactly_one_err_ret_value ? 1 : stack_trace_ptr_count;
+            TypeTableEntry *usize = g->builtin_types.entry_usize;
+            size_t index_field_index = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[0].gen_index;
+            LLVMValueRef index_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack, (unsigned)index_field_index, "");
+            gen_store_untyped(g, LLVMConstNull(usize->type_ref), index_field_ptr, 0, false);
+
+            size_t addresses_field_index = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[1].gen_index;
+            LLVMValueRef addresses_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, g->cur_err_ret_trace_val_stack, (unsigned)addresses_field_index, "");
+
+            TypeTableEntry *slice_type = g->stack_trace_type->data.structure.fields[1].type_entry;
+            size_t ptr_field_index = slice_type->data.structure.fields[slice_ptr_index].gen_index;
+            LLVMValueRef ptr_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, addresses_field_ptr, (unsigned)ptr_field_index, "");
+            LLVMValueRef zero = LLVMConstNull(usize->type_ref);
+            LLVMValueRef indices[] = {zero, zero};
+            LLVMValueRef err_ret_array_val_elem0_ptr = LLVMBuildInBoundsGEP(g->builder, err_ret_array_val,
+                    indices, 2, "");
+            TypeTableEntry *ptr_ptr_usize_type = get_pointer_to_type(g, get_pointer_to_type(g, usize, false), false);
+            gen_store(g, err_ret_array_val_elem0_ptr, ptr_field_ptr, ptr_ptr_usize_type);
+
+            size_t len_field_index = slice_type->data.structure.fields[slice_len_index].gen_index;
+            LLVMValueRef len_field_ptr = LLVMBuildStructGEP(g->builder, addresses_field_ptr, (unsigned)len_field_index, "");
+            gen_store(g, LLVMConstInt(usize->type_ref, ret_addr_count, false), len_field_ptr, get_pointer_to_type(g, usize, false));
+        }
+
         FnTypeId *fn_type_id = &fn_table_entry->type_entry->data.fn.fn_type_id;
 
         // create debug variable declarations for parameters