diff --git a/compiler/semexprs.nim b/compiler/semexprs.nim
index 2ce8633caf0f2..909bd23707384 100644
--- a/compiler/semexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/semexprs.nim
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ proc changeType(c: PContext; n: PNode, newType: PType, check: bool) =
           a.add m
           changeType(m, tup[i], check)
   of nkCharLit..nkUInt64Lit:
-    if check and n.kind != nkUInt64Lit and not sameType(n.typ, newType):
+    if check and n.kind != nkUInt64Lit and not sameTypeOrNil(n.typ, newType):
       let value = n.intVal
       if value < firstOrd(c.config, newType) or value > lastOrd(c.config, newType):
         localError(c.config, n.info, "cannot convert " & $value &
@@ -3078,7 +3078,6 @@ proc semExpr(c: PContext, n: PNode, flags: TExprFlags = {}, expectedType: PType
           expected.kind in {tyInt..tyInt64,
             tyUInt..tyUInt64,
             tyFloat..tyFloat128}):
-        result.typ = expected
         if expected.kind in {tyFloat..tyFloat128}:
           n.transitionIntToFloatKind(nkFloatLit)
         changeType(c, result, expectedType, check=true)
diff --git a/tests/overflow/twronginference.nim b/tests/overflow/twronginference.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..34a982976bc8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/overflow/twronginference.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+discard """
+  errormsg: "cannot convert 256 to int8"
+  line: 9
+"""
+
+# issue #23177
+
+var x: int8
+x = 256
+echo x # 0