diff --git a/basis/compiler/compiler.factor b/basis/compiler/compiler.factor
index eee00bfccb..7527f6b339 100644
--- a/basis/compiler/compiler.factor
+++ b/basis/compiler/compiler.factor
@@ -96,11 +96,11 @@ M: predicate-engine-word no-compile? "owner-generic" word-prop no-compile? ;
 : not-compiled-def ( word error -- def )
     '[ _ _ not-compiled ] [ ] like ;
 
+: deoptimize* ( word -- * )
+    dup def>> deoptimize-with ;
+
 : ignore-error ( word error -- * )
-    drop
-    [ clear-compiler-error ]
-    [ dup def>> deoptimize-with ]
-    bi ;
+    drop [ clear-compiler-error ] [ deoptimize* ] bi ;
 
 : remember-error ( word error -- * )
     [ swap <compiler-error> compiler-error ]
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@ M: predicate-engine-word no-compile? "owner-generic" word-prop no-compile? ;
 : contains-breakpoints? ( -- ? )
     dependencies get keys [ "break?" word-prop ] any? ;
 
-: frontend ( word -- nodes )
+: frontend ( word -- tree )
     #! If the word contains breakpoints, don't optimize it, since
     #! the walker does not support this.
     dup optimize? [
         [ [ build-tree ] [ deoptimize ] recover optimize-tree ] keep
-        contains-breakpoints? [ nip dup def>> deoptimize-with ] [ drop ] if
-    ] [ dup def>> deoptimize-with ] if ;
+        contains-breakpoints? [ nip deoptimize* ] [ drop ] if
+    ] [ deoptimize* ] if ;
 
 : compile-dependency ( word -- )
     #! If a word calls an unoptimized word, try to compile the callee.
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ t compile-dependencies? set-global
     [ compile-dependencies ]
     bi ;
 
-: backend ( nodes word -- )
+: backend ( tree word -- )
     build-cfg [
         optimize-cfg
         build-mr