diff --git a/src-self-hosted/Module.zig b/src-self-hosted/Module.zig
index e056b02b2e..e3233c6403 100644
--- a/src-self-hosted/Module.zig
+++ b/src-self-hosted/Module.zig
@@ -949,10 +949,8 @@ pub fn update(self: *Module) !void {
         try self.deleteDecl(decl);
     }
 
-    if (self.totalErrorCount() == 0) {
-        // This is needed before reading the error flags.
-        try self.bin_file.flush();
-    }
+    // This is needed before reading the error flags.
+    try self.bin_file.flush();
 
     self.link_error_flags = self.bin_file.errorFlags();
 
@@ -2537,7 +2535,7 @@ pub fn coerce(self: *Module, scope: *Scope, dest_type: Type, inst: *Inst) !*Inst
         }
     }
 
-    return self.fail(scope, inst.src, "TODO implement type coercion from {} to {}", .{ inst.ty, dest_type });
+    return self.fail(scope, inst.src, "expected {}, found {}", .{  dest_type, inst.ty });
 }
 
 pub fn storePtr(self: *Module, scope: *Scope, src: usize, ptr: *Inst, uncasted_value: *Inst) !*Inst {
diff --git a/src-self-hosted/link.zig b/src-self-hosted/link.zig
index 6fd9329188..8bfd3bdb48 100644
--- a/src-self-hosted/link.zig
+++ b/src-self-hosted/link.zig
@@ -1172,7 +1172,10 @@ pub const File = struct {
 
                 self.debug_aranges_section_dirty = false;
             }
-            if (self.debug_line_header_dirty) {
+            if (self.debug_line_header_dirty) debug_line: {
+                if (self.dbg_line_fn_first == null) {
+                    break :debug_line; // Error in module; leave debug_line_header_dirty=true.
+                }
                 const dbg_line_prg_off = self.getDebugLineProgramOff();
                 const dbg_line_prg_end = self.getDebugLineProgramEnd();
                 assert(dbg_line_prg_end != 0);
@@ -1403,18 +1406,21 @@ pub const File = struct {
                 self.shdr_table_dirty = false;
             }
             if (self.entry_addr == null and self.base.options.output_mode == .Exe) {
-                log.debug(.link, "no_entry_point_found = true\n", .{});
+                log.debug(.link, "flushing. no_entry_point_found = true\n", .{});
                 self.error_flags.no_entry_point_found = true;
             } else {
+                log.debug(.link, "flushing. no_entry_point_found = false\n", .{});
                 self.error_flags.no_entry_point_found = false;
                 try self.writeElfHeader();
             }
 
-            // The point of flush() is to commit changes, so nothing should be dirty after this.
+            // The point of flush() is to commit changes, so in theory, nothing should
+            // be dirty after this. However, it is possible for some things to remain
+            // dirty because they fail to be written in the event of compile errors,
+            // such as debug_line_header_dirty.
             assert(!self.debug_info_section_dirty);
             assert(!self.debug_abbrev_section_dirty);
             assert(!self.debug_aranges_section_dirty);
-            assert(!self.debug_line_header_dirty);
             assert(!self.phdr_table_dirty);
             assert(!self.shdr_table_dirty);
             assert(!self.shstrtab_dirty);
diff --git a/src-self-hosted/main.zig b/src-self-hosted/main.zig
index 5e2120f41a..2795da0017 100644
--- a/src-self-hosted/main.zig
+++ b/src-self-hosted/main.zig
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ var general_purpose_allocator = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
 
 pub fn main() !void {
     const gpa = if (std.builtin.link_libc) std.heap.c_allocator else &general_purpose_allocator.allocator;
+    defer if (!std.builtin.link_libc) {
+        _ = general_purpose_allocator.deinit();
+    };
     var arena_instance = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(gpa);
     defer arena_instance.deinit();
     const arena = &arena_instance.allocator;
diff --git a/test/stage2/compare_output.zig b/test/stage2/compare_output.zig
index 1e4db06572..bb3e542f13 100644
--- a/test/stage2/compare_output.zig
+++ b/test/stage2/compare_output.zig
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
 
     {
         var case = ctx.exe("hello world with updates", linux_x64);
+
+        case.addError("", &[_][]const u8{":1:1: error: no entry point found"});
+
         // Regular old hello world
         case.addCompareOutput(
             \\export fn _start() noreturn {
@@ -123,7 +126,7 @@ pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
             \\
         );
     }
-    
+
     {
         var case = ctx.exe("hello world", linux_riscv64);
         // Regular old hello world