diff --git a/include/avian/codegen/compiler.h b/include/avian/codegen/compiler.h
index bc88512f2d..19c3068406 100644
--- a/include/avian/codegen/compiler.h
+++ b/include/avian/codegen/compiler.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class Compiler {
   virtual void initLocalsFromLogicalIp(unsigned logicalIp) = 0;
   virtual void storeLocal(unsigned footprint, Operand* src,
                           unsigned index) = 0;
-  virtual Operand* loadLocal(unsigned footprint, unsigned index) = 0;
+  virtual Operand* loadLocal(ir::Type type, unsigned index) = 0;
   virtual void saveLocals() = 0;
 
   virtual void checkBounds(Operand* object, unsigned lengthOffset,
diff --git a/src/codegen/compiler.cpp b/src/codegen/compiler.cpp
index 125284dbd4..3472fdcc6c 100644
--- a/src/codegen/compiler.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen/compiler.cpp
@@ -1214,9 +1214,27 @@ storeLocal(Context* c, unsigned footprint, Value* v, unsigned index, bool copy)
   return v;
 }
 
-Value*
-loadLocal(Context* c, unsigned footprint, unsigned index)
+unsigned typeFootprint(Context* c, ir::Type type)
 {
+  // TODO: this function is very Java-specific in nature. Generalize.
+  switch (type.flavor()) {
+  case ir::Type::Float:
+  case ir::Type::Integer:
+    return type.size() / 4;
+  case ir::Type::Object:
+  case ir::Type::Address:
+  case ir::Type::Half:
+    return 1;
+  case ir::Type::Void:
+    return 0;
+  default:
+    abort(c);
+  }
+}
+
+Value* loadLocal(Context* c, ir::Type type, unsigned index)
+{
+  unsigned footprint = typeFootprint(c, type);
   assert(c, index + footprint <= c->localFootprint);
 
   if (footprint > 1) {
@@ -2103,24 +2121,6 @@ class Client: public Assembler::Client {
   Context* c;
 };
 
-unsigned typeFootprint(Context* c, ir::Type type)
-{
-  // TODO: this function is very Java-specific in nature. Generalize.
-  switch (type.flavor()) {
-  case ir::Type::Float:
-  case ir::Type::Integer:
-    return type.size() / 4;
-  case ir::Type::Object:
-  case ir::Type::Address:
-  case ir::Type::Half:
-    return 1;
-  case ir::Type::Void:
-    return 0;
-  default:
-    abort(c);
-  }
-}
-
 class MyCompiler: public Compiler {
  public:
   MyCompiler(System* s, Assembler* assembler, Zone* zone,
@@ -2593,8 +2593,9 @@ class MyCompiler: public Compiler {
     compiler::storeLocal(&c, footprint, static_cast<Value*>(src), index, true);
   }
 
-  virtual Operand* loadLocal(unsigned footprint, unsigned index) {
-    return compiler::loadLocal(&c, footprint, index);
+  virtual Operand* loadLocal(ir::Type type, unsigned index)
+  {
+    return compiler::loadLocal(&c, type, index);
   }
 
   virtual void saveLocals() {
diff --git a/src/compile.cpp b/src/compile.cpp
index fd9416b5fd..6d8ad0c7bf 100644
--- a/src/compile.cpp
+++ b/src/compile.cpp
@@ -1331,11 +1331,13 @@ translateLocalIndex(Context* context, unsigned footprint, unsigned index)
   }
 }
 
-Compiler::Operand*
-loadLocal(Context* context, unsigned footprint, unsigned index)
+Compiler::Operand* loadLocal(Context* context,
+                             unsigned footprint,
+                             ir::Type type,
+                             unsigned index)
 {
-  return context->compiler->loadLocal
-    (footprint, translateLocalIndex(context, footprint, index));
+  return context->compiler->loadLocal(
+      type, translateLocalIndex(context, footprint, index));
 }
 
 void
@@ -1746,17 +1748,17 @@ class Frame {
 
   void loadInt(unsigned index) {
     assert(t, index < localSize());
-    pushInt(loadLocal(context, 1, index));
+    pushInt(loadLocal(context, 1, types.i4, index));
   }
 
   void loadLong(unsigned index) {
     assert(t, index < static_cast<unsigned>(localSize() - 1));
-    pushLong(loadLocal(context, 2, index));
+    pushLong(loadLocal(context, 2, types.i8, index));
   }
 
   void loadObject(unsigned index) {
     assert(t, index < localSize());
-    pushObject(loadLocal(context, 1, index));
+    pushObject(loadLocal(context, 1, types.object, index));
   }
 
   void storeInt(unsigned index) {
@@ -1973,8 +1975,12 @@ class Frame {
   }
 
   void returnFromSubroutine(unsigned returnAddressLocal) {
-    c->returnFromSubroutine
-      (subroutine->handle, loadLocal(context, 1, returnAddressLocal));
+    c->returnFromSubroutine(
+        subroutine->handle,
+        loadLocal(context,
+                  1,
+                  ir::Type(ir::Type::Address, TargetBytesPerWord),
+                  returnAddressLocal));
 
     subroutine->stackIndex = localOffsetFromStack
       (t, translateLocalIndex(context, 1, returnAddressLocal),
@@ -3421,7 +3427,8 @@ handleMonitorEvent(MyThread* t, Frame* frame, intptr_t function)
 
       lock = frame->append(methodClass(t, method));
     } else {
-      lock = loadLocal(frame->context, 1, savedTargetIndex(t, method));
+      lock = loadLocal(
+          frame->context, 1, frame->types.object, savedTargetIndex(t, method));
     }
 
     c->call(c->constant(function, types.address),
@@ -3444,7 +3451,10 @@ handleEntrance(MyThread* t, Frame* frame)
   {
     // save 'this' pointer in case it is overwritten.
     unsigned index = savedTargetIndex(t, method);
-    storeLocal(frame->context, 1, loadLocal(frame->context, 1, 0), index);
+    storeLocal(frame->context,
+               1,
+               loadLocal(frame->context, 1, frame->types.object, 0),
+               index);
     frame->set(index, Frame::Object);
   }
 
@@ -4937,7 +4947,7 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
                  c->binaryOp(lir::Add,
                              types.i4,
                              c->constant(count, types.i4),
-                             loadLocal(context, 1, index)),
+                             loadLocal(context, 1, types.i4, index)),
                  index);
     } break;
 
@@ -6047,7 +6057,7 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
                    c->binaryOp(lir::Add,
                                types.i4,
                                c->constant(count, types.i4),
-                               loadLocal(context, 1, index)),
+                               loadLocal(context, 1, types.i4, index)),
                    index);
       } break;
 
@@ -6069,7 +6079,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
 
       case ret: {
         unsigned index = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
-        c->jmp(loadLocal(context, 1, index));
+        c->jmp(loadLocal(context,
+                         1,
+                         ir::Type(ir::Type::Address, TargetBytesPerWord),
+                         index));
         frame->returnFromSubroutine(index);
       } goto next;