diff --git a/cue/testdata/basicrewrite/012_selecting.txtar b/cue/testdata/basicrewrite/012_selecting.txtar
index d47f249e8f4..5fa660318bc 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/basicrewrite/012_selecting.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/basicrewrite/012_selecting.txtar
@@ -59,15 +59,15 @@ h: _|_ // invalid operation: [3].b (type list does not support selection)
   ].b
 }
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  9
+Leaks:  17
 Freed:  10
 Reused: 8
-Allocs: 11
-Retain: 9
+Allocs: 19
+Retain: 17
 
-Unifications: 19
-Conjuncts:    19
-Disjuncts:    17
+Unifications: 27
+Conjuncts:    35
+Disjuncts:    25
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
 e: invalid struct selector 4 (type int):
diff --git a/cue/testdata/builtins/incomplete.txtar b/cue/testdata/builtins/incomplete.txtar
index 39b750d8247..a1486e168d7 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/builtins/incomplete.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/builtins/incomplete.txtar
@@ -101,15 +101,15 @@ multipleErrors: {
 	}
 }
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  10
-Freed:  119
-Reused: 114
-Allocs: 15
-Retain: 37
+Leaks:  7
+Freed:  122
+Reused: 117
+Allocs: 12
+Retain: 32
 
 Unifications: 109
-Conjuncts:    265
-Disjuncts:    152
+Conjuncts:    267
+Disjuncts:    150
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
 badListType.decimal: cannot use 2 (type int) as list in argument 1 to list.Max:
diff --git a/cue/testdata/comprehensions/issue837.txtar b/cue/testdata/comprehensions/issue837.txtar
index e36900e11a4..fb2c0d980d7 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/comprehensions/issue837.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/comprehensions/issue837.txtar
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Allocs: 19
 Retain: 11
 
 Unifications: 114
-Conjuncts:    291
+Conjuncts:    307
 Disjuncts:    173
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
diff --git a/cue/testdata/comprehensions/pushdown.txtar b/cue/testdata/comprehensions/pushdown.txtar
index e638bbb7fc9..01869651ff1 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/comprehensions/pushdown.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/comprehensions/pushdown.txtar
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ Allocs: 23
 Retain: 68
 
 Unifications: 389
-Conjuncts:    632
+Conjuncts:    636
 Disjuncts:    433
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
diff --git a/cue/testdata/definitions/comprehensions.txtar b/cue/testdata/definitions/comprehensions.txtar
index 607f4ef01f8..59586572f85 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/definitions/comprehensions.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/definitions/comprehensions.txtar
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Allocs: 5
 Retain: 2
 
 Unifications: 6
-Conjuncts:    6
+Conjuncts:    9
 Disjuncts:    8
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
diff --git a/cue/testdata/eval/incomplete.txtar b/cue/testdata/eval/incomplete.txtar
index a9b6087e8ba..f205462e193 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/eval/incomplete.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/eval/incomplete.txtar
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ issue1837: {
 	}
 }
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  4
-Freed:  28
-Reused: 23
-Allocs: 9
-Retain: 44
+Leaks:  0
+Freed:  32
+Reused: 26
+Allocs: 6
+Retain: 40
 
 Unifications: 32
-Conjuncts:    101
+Conjuncts:    122
 Disjuncts:    35
 -- out/eval --
 (struct){
diff --git a/cue/testdata/eval/let.txtar b/cue/testdata/eval/let.txtar
index 733d41b5c3f..33d6bf08864 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/eval/let.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/eval/let.txtar
@@ -66,15 +66,15 @@ keepDescending: t2: {
 }
 
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  7
-Freed:  47
-Reused: 38
-Allocs: 16
-Retain: 23
+Leaks:  6
+Freed:  48
+Reused: 39
+Allocs: 15
+Retain: 21
 
 Unifications: 52
-Conjuncts:    66
-Disjuncts:    60
+Conjuncts:    74
+Disjuncts:    59
 -- out/eval --
 (struct){
   let A#1 = (int){ 9 }
diff --git a/cue/testdata/export/issue854.txtar b/cue/testdata/export/issue854.txtar
index d4a18ac95fa..b06ab8f7354 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/export/issue854.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/export/issue854.txtar
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ Leaks:  4
 Freed:  2
 Reused: 0
 Allocs: 6
-Retain: 7
+Retain: 18
 
 Unifications: 6
-Conjuncts:    8
-Disjuncts:    8
+Conjuncts:    21
+Disjuncts:    11
 -- out/eval --
 (struct){
   theb: (_|_){
diff --git a/cue/testdata/references/index.txtar b/cue/testdata/references/index.txtar
index cf958da77b0..81fb2a48b29 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/references/index.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/references/index.txtar
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ varNegativeIndex: {
 	a: [1, 2, 3][n]
 }
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  12
+Leaks:  15
 Freed:  36
 Reused: 33
-Allocs: 15
-Retain: 12
+Allocs: 18
+Retain: 15
 
-Unifications: 40
-Conjuncts:    50
-Disjuncts:    45
+Unifications: 43
+Conjuncts:    56
+Disjuncts:    48
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
 outOfBoundsDisjunction: invalid list index 1 (out of bounds):
diff --git a/cue/testdata/resolve/016_index.txtar b/cue/testdata/resolve/016_index.txtar
index 717c24a5125..4d8018ebbf6 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/resolve/016_index.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/resolve/016_index.txtar
@@ -92,15 +92,15 @@ e7: def["b"]
   e7: 〈0;def〉["b"]
 }
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  10
+Leaks:  16
 Freed:  32
 Reused: 26
-Allocs: 16
-Retain: 12
+Allocs: 22
+Retain: 18
 
-Unifications: 34
-Conjuncts:    44
-Disjuncts:    42
+Unifications: 40
+Conjuncts:    61
+Disjuncts:    48
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
 c: invalid list index "3" (type string):
diff --git a/cue/testdata/scalars/embed.txtar b/cue/testdata/scalars/embed.txtar
index 0332d2db94d..7086288b804 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/scalars/embed.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/scalars/embed.txtar
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ merged: t1: p3: {
 	#fn: { #in2: c1: string, #in2.c1 }
 	#fn: { #in2: _, _ }
 }
-// TODO(broken): these tests should resolve as above.
 merged: t2: p1: {
 	#fn: { #in2: {}, _ }
 	#fn: { #in2: c1: string, #in2.c1 }
@@ -135,27 +134,19 @@ merged: t2: p3: {
 }
 
 -- out/eval/stats --
-Leaks:  3
-Freed:  120
-Reused: 113
-Allocs: 10
-Retain: 45
+Leaks:  1
+Freed:  123
+Reused: 115
+Allocs: 9
+Retain: 47
 
-Unifications: 119
-Conjuncts:    297
-Disjuncts:    150
+Unifications: 120
+Conjuncts:    307
+Disjuncts:    156
 -- out/eval --
 Errors:
 listEmbed.b6: invalid list index 5 (out of bounds):
     ./in.cue:28:9
-merged.t2.p1.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-    ./issue2113.cue:20:32
-merged.t2.p1.x: undefined field: c1:
-    ./issue2113.cue:20:32
-merged.t2.p2.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-    ./issue2113.cue:24:32
-merged.t2.p3.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-    ./issue2113.cue:30:32
 
 Result:
 (_|_){
@@ -261,8 +252,7 @@ Result:
       0: (string){ "foo" }
     }
   }
-  merged: (_|_){
-    // [eval]
+  merged: (struct){
     t1: (struct){
       p1: (struct){
         #fn: (string){
@@ -307,30 +297,24 @@ Result:
         }
       }
     }
-    t2: (_|_){
-      // [eval]
-      p1: (_|_){
-        // [eval]
-        #fn: (_|_){
-          // [eval] merged.t2.p1.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-          //     ./issue2113.cue:20:32
+    t2: (struct){
+      p1: (struct){
+        #fn: (string){
+          string
           #in2: (#struct){
             c1: (string){ string }
           }
         }
-        x: (_|_){
-          // [eval] merged.t2.p1.x: undefined field: c1:
-          //     ./issue2113.cue:20:32
+        x: (string){
+          "V 1"
           #in2: (#struct){
             c1: (string){ "V 1" }
           }
         }
       }
-      p2: (_|_){
-        // [eval]
-        #fn: (_|_){
-          // [eval] merged.t2.p2.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-          //     ./issue2113.cue:24:32
+      p2: (struct){
+        #fn: (string){
+          string
           #in2: (#struct){
             c1: (string){ string }
           }
@@ -342,20 +326,17 @@ Result:
           }
         }
       }
-      p3: (_|_){
-        // [eval]
+      p3: (struct){
         x: (string){
           "V 1"
           #in2: (#struct){
             c1: (string){ "V 1" }
           }
         }
-        #fn: (_|_){
-          // [eval] merged.t2.p3.#fn: undefined field: c1:
-          //     ./issue2113.cue:30:32
+        #fn: (string){
+          string
           #in2: (#struct){
-            c1: (_|_){// string
-            }
+            c1: (string){ string }
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/internal/core/adt/context.go b/internal/core/adt/context.go
index ef6592c5495..dc6c364b24c 100644
--- a/internal/core/adt/context.go
+++ b/internal/core/adt/context.go
@@ -861,7 +861,11 @@ func (c *OpContext) lookup(x *Vertex, pos token.Pos, l Feature, state VertexStat
 			}
 		}
 		code := IncompleteError
-		if !x.Accept(c, l) {
+		// As long as we have incomplete information, we cannot mark the
+		// inability to look up a field as "final", as it may resolve down the
+		// line.
+		permanent := x.status > Conjuncts
+		if (state > Partial || permanent) && !x.Accept(c, l) {
 			code = 0
 		} else if hasCycle {
 			code = CycleError
@@ -886,7 +890,7 @@ func (c *OpContext) lookup(x *Vertex, pos token.Pos, l Feature, state VertexStat
 		}
 		c.AddBottom(&Bottom{
 			Code:      code,
-			Permanent: x.status >= Conjuncts,
+			Permanent: permanent,
 			Err:       err,
 		})
 	}