diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-if.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-if.rkt
index f0b6deef2a..97d4a2d857 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-if.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-if.rkt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
       ;; otherwise, this code is unreachable
       ;; and the resulting type should be the empty type
       [(check-unreachable-code?)
-       (tc-expr/check expr Univ)
+       (tc-expr expr)
        (ret (Un))]
       [else (ret (Un))]))
   (match (single-value tst)
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/fail/check-unreachable.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/fail/check-unreachable.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..511f2bd269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/fail/check-unreachable.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#;
+(exn-pred #rx"expected: Symbol.*given: String")
+#lang racket/load
+
+;; This test makes sure that the check-unreachable-code mode
+;; actually works.
+
+(require (for-syntax typed-racket/utils/tc-utils))
+
+(begin-for-syntax
+  (check-unreachable-code? #t))
+
+(require typed/racket)
+
+(if #t
+    "foo"
+    (symbol->string "foo"))