diff --git a/spec/declaration/record_spec.lua b/spec/declaration/record_spec.lua
index 3c58abed7..2f021a95f 100644
--- a/spec/declaration/record_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/declaration/record_spec.lua
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ for i, name in ipairs({"records", "arrayrecords"}) do
          end
 
          function Foo.new(): Foo
-            return setmetatable({}, Foo) -- typing of arguments is being very permissive here, may change in the future and require a cast
+            return setmetatable({}, Foo as metatable<Foo>)
          end
 
          local foo = Foo.new()
diff --git a/tl.lua b/tl.lua
index 747e8e137..97e2bee52 100644
--- a/tl.lua
+++ b/tl.lua
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ end
 
 local function new_node(tokens, i, kind)
    local t = tokens[i]
-   return { y = t.y, x = t.x, tk = t.tk, kind = kind or t.kind }
+   return { y = t.y, x = t.x, tk = t.tk, kind = kind or (t.kind) }
 end
 
 local function a_type(t)
@@ -7077,17 +7077,13 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast, opts)
          end
          return false, terr(t1, "cannot match against any alternatives of the polymorphic type")
       elseif t1.typename == "nominal" and t2.typename == "nominal" then
-         local same, err = are_same_nominals(t1, t2)
-         if same then
-            return true
-         end
          local t1r = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t1)
          local t2r = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t2)
-         if is_record_type(t1r) and is_record_type(t2r) then
-            return same, err
-         else
+         if t1r.typename == "union" or t2r.typename == "union" then
             return is_a(t1r, t2r, for_equality)
          end
+
+         return are_same_nominals(t1, t2)
       elseif t1.typename == "enum" and t2.typename == "string" then
          local ok
          if for_equality then
@@ -9088,7 +9084,7 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast, opts)
                   local infertype = infertypes[i]
 
                   local rt = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t)
-                  if rt.typename ~= "enum" and not same_type(t, infertype) then
+                  if rt.typename ~= "enum" and (t.typename ~= "nominal" or rt.typename == "union") and not same_type(t, infertype) then
                      add_var(where, var.tk, infer_at(where, infertype), "const", "narrowed_declaration")
                   end
                end
@@ -10064,6 +10060,14 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast, opts)
                   end
                end
 
+               if orig_a.typename == "nominal" and orig_b.typename == "nominal" and not meta_on_operator then
+                  if is_a(orig_a, orig_b) then
+                     node.type = resolve_tuple(orig_a)
+                  else
+                     node_error(node, "cannot use operator '" .. node.op.op:gsub("%%", "%%%%") .. "' for distinct nominal types %s and %s", resolve_tuple(orig_a), resolve_tuple(orig_b))
+                  end
+               end
+
                if types_op == numeric_binop or node.op.op == ".." then
                   node.known = FACT_TRUTHY
                end
diff --git a/tl.tl b/tl.tl
index 730712d24..6b8b0005b 100644
--- a/tl.tl
+++ b/tl.tl
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ end
 
 local function new_node(tokens: {Token}, i: integer, kind: NodeKind): Node
    local t = tokens[i]
-   return { y = t.y, x = t.x, tk = t.tk, kind = kind or t.kind }
+   return { y = t.y, x = t.x, tk = t.tk, kind = kind or (t.kind as NodeKind) }
 end
 
 local function a_type(t: Type): Type
@@ -7077,17 +7077,13 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast: Node, opts: TypeCheckOptions): Result, string
          end
          return false, terr(t1, "cannot match against any alternatives of the polymorphic type")
       elseif t1.typename == "nominal" and t2.typename == "nominal" then
-         local same, err = are_same_nominals(t1, t2)
-         if same then
-            return true
-         end
          local t1r = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t1)
          local t2r = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t2)
-         if is_record_type(t1r) and is_record_type(t2r) then
-            return same, err
-         else
+         if t1r.typename == "union" or t2r.typename == "union" then
             return is_a(t1r, t2r, for_equality)
          end
+
+         return are_same_nominals(t1, t2)
       elseif t1.typename == "enum" and t2.typename == "string" then
          local ok: boolean
          if for_equality then
@@ -9088,7 +9084,7 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast: Node, opts: TypeCheckOptions): Result, string
                   local infertype = infertypes[i]
 
                   local rt = resolve_tuple_and_nominal(t)
-                  if rt.typename ~= "enum" and not same_type(t, infertype) then
+                  if rt.typename ~= "enum" and (t.typename ~= "nominal" or rt.typename == "union") and not same_type(t, infertype) then
                      add_var(where, var.tk, infer_at(where, infertype), "const", "narrowed_declaration")
                   end
                end
@@ -10064,6 +10060,14 @@ tl.type_check = function(ast: Node, opts: TypeCheckOptions): Result, string
                   end
                end
 
+               if orig_a.typename == "nominal" and orig_b.typename == "nominal" and not meta_on_operator then
+                  if is_a(orig_a, orig_b) then
+                     node.type = resolve_tuple(orig_a)
+                  else
+                     node_error(node, "cannot use operator '" .. node.op.op:gsub("%%", "%%%%") .. "' for distinct nominal types %s and %s", resolve_tuple(orig_a), resolve_tuple(orig_b))
+                  end
+               end
+
                if types_op == numeric_binop or node.op.op == ".." then
                   node.known = FACT_TRUTHY
                end