diff --git a/collects/tests/typed-scheme/optimizer/generic/unboxed-make-rectangular.rkt b/collects/tests/typed-scheme/optimizer/generic/unboxed-make-rectangular.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..87d3f05d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/tests/typed-scheme/optimizer/generic/unboxed-make-rectangular.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#lang typed/scheme #:optimize
+
+(require racket/unsafe/ops)
+
+(let ((x (make-rectangular 1.0 2.0)))
+  (+ x 2.0+4.0i))
+(let ((x (unsafe-make-flrectangular 1.0 2.0)))
+  (+ x 2.0+4.0i))
diff --git a/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/float.rkt b/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/float.rkt
index b7970212..17917d44 100644
--- a/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/float.rkt
+++ b/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/float.rkt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
          (types abbrev type-table utils subtype)
          (optimizer utils fixnum))
 
-(provide float-opt-expr float-expr int-expr)
+(provide float-opt-expr float-expr int-expr float-coerce-expr)
 
 
 (define (mk-float-tbl generic)
@@ -40,6 +40,19 @@
   (pattern e:expr
            #:when (subtypeof? #'e -Integer)
            #:with opt ((optimize) #'e)))
+(define-syntax-class real-expr
+  (pattern e:expr
+           #:when (subtypeof? #'e -Real)
+           #:with opt ((optimize) #'e)))
+
+
+;; generates coercions to floats
+(define-syntax-class float-coerce-expr
+  (pattern e:float-arg-expr
+           #:with opt #'e.opt)
+  (pattern e:real-expr
+           #:with opt #'(exact->inexact e.opt)))
+
 
 ;; if the result of an operation is of type float, its non float arguments
 ;; can be promoted, and we can use unsafe float operations
diff --git a/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/inexact-complex.rkt b/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/inexact-complex.rkt
index 0526c42e..d18ac9f0 100644
--- a/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/inexact-complex.rkt
+++ b/collects/typed-scheme/optimizer/inexact-complex.rkt
@@ -224,6 +224,17 @@
            (begin (log-optimization "unboxed unary inexact complex" #'op)
                   #'(c.bindings ...)))
 
+  ;; we can eliminate boxing that was introduced by the user
+  (pattern (#%plain-app (~and op (~or (~literal make-rectangular)
+                                      (~literal unsafe-make-flrectangular)))
+                        real:float-coerce-expr imag:float-coerce-expr)
+           #:with real-binding (unboxed-gensym)
+           #:with imag-binding (unboxed-gensym)
+           #:with (bindings ...)
+           (begin (log-optimization "make-rectangular elimination" #'op)
+                  #`(((real-binding) real.opt)
+                     ((imag-binding) imag.opt))))
+
   ;; if we see a variable that's already unboxed, use the unboxed bindings
   (pattern v:id
            #:with unboxed-info (dict-ref unboxed-vars-table #'v #f)
@@ -243,27 +254,11 @@
               ((real-binding) (unsafe-flreal-part e*))
               ((imag-binding) (unsafe-flimag-part e*))))
   ;; special handling of reals
-  (pattern e:float-expr
+  (pattern e:float-coerce-expr
            #:with real-binding (unboxed-gensym)
            #:with imag-binding #f
            #:with (bindings ...)
-           #`(((real-binding) #,((optimize) #'e))))
-  (pattern e:fixnum-expr
-           #:with real-binding (unboxed-gensym)
-           #:with imag-binding #f
-           #:with (bindings ...)
-           #`(((real-binding) (unsafe-fx->fl #,((optimize) #'e)))))
-  (pattern e:int-expr
-           #:with real-binding (unboxed-gensym)
-           #:with imag-binding #f
-           #:with (bindings ...)
-           #`(((real-binding) (->fl #,((optimize) #'e)))))
-  (pattern e:expr
-           #:when (isoftype? #'e -Real)
-           #:with real-binding (unboxed-gensym)
-           #:with imag-binding #f
-           #:with (bindings ...)
-           #`(((real-binding) (exact->inexact #,((optimize) #'e)))))
+           #`(((real-binding) e.opt)))
   (pattern e:expr
            #:when (isoftype? #'e -Number) ; complex, maybe exact, maybe not
            #:with e* (unboxed-gensym)