diff --git a/src/Agda2Hs/Compile/Utils.hs b/src/Agda2Hs/Compile/Utils.hs
index a62f80a5..20b6e85c 100644
--- a/src/Agda2Hs/Compile/Utils.hs
+++ b/src/Agda2Hs/Compile/Utils.hs
@@ -232,33 +232,36 @@ isInlinedFunction q = do
     _ -> return False
 
 checkInstance :: Term -> C ()
-checkInstance u | varOrDef u = liftTCM $ noConstraints $ do
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 12 $ text "checkInstance" <+> prettyTCM u
-  t <- infer u
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  inferred type:" <+> prettyTCM t
-  (m, v) <- newInstanceMeta "" t
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  instance meta:" <+> prettyTCM m
-  findInstance m Nothing
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  inferred instance:" <+> (prettyTCM =<< instantiate v)
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 65 $ text "  inferred instance:" <+> (pure . P.pretty =<< instantiate v)
-  reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 65 $ text "  checking instance:" <+> (pure . P.pretty =<< instantiate u)
-  equalTerm t u v `catchError` \_ ->
+checkInstance u = instantiate u >>= \case
+  u | varOrDef u -> liftTCM $ noConstraints $ do
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 12 $ text "checkInstance" <+> prettyTCM u
+    t <- infer u
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  inferred type:" <+> prettyTCM t
+    (m, v) <- newInstanceMeta "" t
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  instance meta:" <+> prettyTCM m
+    findInstance m Nothing
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "  inferred instance:" <+> (prettyTCM =<< instantiate v)
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 65 $ text "  inferred instance:" <+> (pure . P.pretty =<< instantiate v)
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 65 $ text "  checking instance:" <+> (pure . P.pretty =<< instantiate u)
+    equalTerm t u v `catchError` \_ ->
+      genericDocError =<< text "illegal instance: " <+> prettyTCM u
+  -- We need to compile applications of `fromNat`, `fromNeg`, and
+  -- `fromString` where the constraint type is ⊤ or IsTrue .... Ideally
+  -- this constraint would be marked as erased but this would involve
+  -- changing Agda builtins.
+  Con c _ _
+    | prettyShow (conName c) == "Agda.Builtin.Unit.tt" ||
+      prettyShow (conName c) == "Haskell.Prim.IsTrue.itsTrue" ||
+      prettyShow (conName c) == "Haskell.Prim.IsFalse.itsFalse" -> return ()
+  u -> do
+    reportSDoc "agda2hs.checkInstance" 15 $ text "illegal instance: " <+> pretty u
     genericDocError =<< text "illegal instance: " <+> prettyTCM u
+
   where
     varOrDef Var{} = True
     varOrDef Def{} = True
     varOrDef _     = False
 
--- We need to compile applications of `fromNat`, `fromNeg`, and
--- `fromString` where the constraint type is ⊤ or IsTrue .... Ideally
--- this constraint would be marked as erased but this would involve
--- changing Agda builtins.
-checkInstance u@(Con c _ _)
-  | prettyShow (conName c) == "Agda.Builtin.Unit.tt" ||
-    prettyShow (conName c) == "Haskell.Prim.IsTrue.itsTrue" ||
-    prettyShow (conName c) == "Haskell.Prim.IsFalse.itsFalse" = return ()
-checkInstance u = genericDocError =<< text "illegal instance: " <+> prettyTCM u
-
 compileLocal :: C a -> C a
 compileLocal = local $ \e -> e { compilingLocal = True }