diff --git a/base/src/types/mod.rs b/base/src/types/mod.rs
index 1da2311de1..df0bfa9081 100644
--- a/base/src/types/mod.rs
+++ b/base/src/types/mod.rs
@@ -1653,6 +1653,12 @@ pub trait TypeExt: Deref<Target = Type<<Self as TypeExt>::Id, Self>> + Clone + S
         Self: fmt::Display,
         Self::Id: fmt::Display,
     {
+        // If the alias was just hiding an error then any application is also an error as we have
+        // no way of knowing how many arguments it should take
+        if let Type::Error = &**self {
+            return Some((self.clone(), &[]));
+        }
+
         let typ = if params.len() == args.len() {
             Cow::Borrowed(self)
         } else {
diff --git a/check/src/typecheck.rs b/check/src/typecheck.rs
index 4b2c511189..4b262ae251 100644
--- a/check/src/typecheck.rs
+++ b/check/src/typecheck.rs
@@ -1656,7 +1656,7 @@ impl<'a> Typecheck<'a> {
                             );
                             // We still define the type so that any uses later on in the program
                             // won't error on UndefinedType
-                            let hole = self.subs.hole();
+                            let hole = self.subs.error();
                             alias = self.new_alias(name.clone(), Vec::new(), hole);
                             &alias
                         }
diff --git a/check/tests/fail.rs b/check/tests/fail.rs
index 306a4fd3e4..a41aaebeb7 100644
--- a/check/tests/fail.rs
+++ b/check/tests/fail.rs
@@ -801,3 +801,38 @@ match reverse (Cons 1 Nil) with
 "#,
 Unification(..)
 }
+
+test_check_err! {
+    missing_type_field,
+    r#"
+type Alternative f = {
+    empty : forall a . f a,
+}
+
+rec
+type Arr r a b = a -> Eff r b
+
+type Eff r a =
+    | Pure a
+    | Impure : forall x . r x -> Arr r x a -> Eff r a
+in
+
+let any x = any x
+
+let { HttpEffect } = ()
+
+let alt =
+    type Alt r a =
+        | Empty
+        .. r
+    let alternative : Alternative (Eff [| alt : Alt | r |]) = {
+        empty = any (),
+    }
+    { alternative }
+
+let alternative : Alternative (Eff (HttpEffect r)) = alt.alternative
+
+()
+"#,
+UndefinedField(..)
+}