diff --git a/library/inference/branches.factor b/library/inference/branches.factor
index fc16268090..048496483e 100644
--- a/library/inference/branches.factor
+++ b/library/inference/branches.factor
@@ -103,12 +103,9 @@ namespaces prettyprint sequences strings unparser vectors words ;
     #ifte pop-d drop infer-branches
 ] "infer" set-word-prop
 
-: vtable-value ( rstate vtable -- seq )
-    [ swap <literal> ] map-with ;
-
 USE: kernel-internals
 
 \ dispatch [
-    pop-literal vtable-value
+    pop-literal nip [ <literal> ] map
     #dispatch pop-d drop infer-branches
 ] "infer" set-word-prop
diff --git a/library/inference/inference.factor b/library/inference/inference.factor
index 9fe87e91f9..de6e008f1c 100644
--- a/library/inference/inference.factor
+++ b/library/inference/inference.factor
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ GENERIC: apply-object
 : apply-literal ( obj -- )
     #! Literals are annotated with the current recursive
     #! state.
-    recursive-state get <literal> push-d  1 #push node, ;
+    <literal> push-d  1 #push node, ;
 
 M: object apply-object apply-literal ;
 
diff --git a/library/inference/values.factor b/library/inference/values.factor
index 178b524445..1f0cdfd8a8 100644
--- a/library/inference/values.factor
+++ b/library/inference/values.factor
@@ -5,21 +5,20 @@ USING: generic kernel lists namespaces sequences unparser words ;
 
 TUPLE: value recursion safe? ;
 
-C: value ( recursion -- value )
-    [ t swap set-value-safe? ] keep
-    [ set-value-recursion ] keep ;
+C: value ( rstate -- value )
+    t over set-value-safe?
+    recursive-state get over set-value-recursion ;
 
 M: value = eq? ;
 
 TUPLE: computed ;
 
-C: computed ( -- value )
-    recursive-state get <value> over set-delegate ;
+C: computed ( -- value ) <value> over set-delegate ;
 
 TUPLE: literal value ;
 
-C: literal ( obj rstate -- value )
-    [ >r <value> r> set-delegate ] keep
+C: literal ( obj -- value )
+    <value> over set-delegate
     [ set-literal-value ] keep ;
 
 M: value literal-value ( value -- )
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ M: value literal-value ( value -- )
 TUPLE: meet values ;
 
 C: meet ( values -- value )
-    [ set-meet-values ] keep f <value> over set-delegate ;
+    <value> over set-delegate [ set-meet-values ] keep ;
 
 PREDICATE: tuple safe-literal ( obj -- ? )
     dup literal? [ value-safe? ] [ drop f ] ifte ;
diff --git a/library/test/compiler/optimizer.factor b/library/test/compiler/optimizer.factor
index 31b9f6c848..aa4d0c8c40 100644
--- a/library/test/compiler/optimizer.factor
+++ b/library/test/compiler/optimizer.factor
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ USE: sequences
 [ [ [ 1 ] [ 2 ] ] ] [ [ [ 1 ] [ 2 ] ifte ] kill-set* ] unit-test
 
 [ [ t t f ] ] [
-    [ 1 2 3 ] [ f <literal> ] map
+    [ 1 2 3 ] [ <literal> ] map
     [ [ literal-value 2 <= ] subset ] keep in-d-node <#drop> kill-mask
 ] unit-test