diff --git a/basis/stack-checker/backend/backend.factor b/basis/stack-checker/backend/backend.factor
index 338b052316..5411c885ad 100755
--- a/basis/stack-checker/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/basis/stack-checker/backend/backend.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ parser sequences strings vectors words quotations effects classes
 continuations assocs combinators compiler.errors accessors math.order
 definitions sets hints macros stack-checker.state
 stack-checker.visitor stack-checker.errors stack-checker.values
-stack-checker.recursive-state ;
+stack-checker.recursive-state summary ;
 IN: stack-checker.backend
 
 : push-d ( obj -- ) meta-d push ;
@@ -98,8 +98,10 @@ M: object apply-object push-literal ;
 : time-bomb ( error -- )
     '[ _ throw ] infer-quot-here ;
 
-: bad-call ( -- )
-    "call must be given a callable" time-bomb ;
+ERROR: bad-call obj ;
+
+M: bad-call summary
+    drop "call must be given a callable" ;
 
 : infer-literal-quot ( literal -- )
     dup recursive-quotation? [
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ M: object apply-object push-literal ;
             [ [ recursion>> ] keep add-local-quotation ]
             bi infer-quot
         ] [
-            drop bad-call
+            value>> \ bad-call boa time-bomb
         ] if
     ] if ;
 
diff --git a/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor b/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
index 6959e32452..59aeb97d82 100644
--- a/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
+++ b/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
@@ -134,13 +134,17 @@ M: object infer-call*
 
 \ compose [ infer-compose ] "special" set-word-prop
 
+ERROR: bad-executable obj ;
+
+M: bad-executable summary
+    drop "execute must be given a word" ;
+
 : infer-execute ( -- )
     pop-literal nip
     dup word? [
         apply-object
     ] [
-        drop
-        "execute must be given a word" time-bomb
+        \ bad-executable boa time-bomb
     ] if ;
 
 \ execute [ infer-execute ] "special" set-word-prop