diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/private/type-contract.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/private/type-contract.rkt
index c734ccff..cd7a6e85 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/private/type-contract.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/private/type-contract.rkt
@@ -145,11 +145,14 @@
   (and (identifier? ctc-stx)
        (let ([match? (assoc ctc-stx (hash-values cache) free-identifier=?)])
          (and match?
-              ;; ->* are handled specially by the contract system
-              (let ([sexp (syntax-e (cdr match?))])
-                (and (pair? sexp)
-                     (or (free-identifier=? (car sexp) #'->)
-                         (free-identifier=? (car sexp) #'->*))))
+              (or
+               ;; no need to generate an extra def for things that are already identifiers
+               (identifier? match?)
+               ;; ->* are handled specially by the contract system
+               (let ([sexp (syntax-e (cdr match?))])
+                 (and (pair? sexp)
+                      (or (free-identifier=? (car sexp) #'->)
+                          (free-identifier=? (car sexp) #'->*)))))
               (cdr match?)))))
 
 ;; The below requires are needed since they provide identifiers that
diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/static-contracts/instantiate.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/static-contracts/instantiate.rkt
index bca74d72..9ac77dfa 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/static-contracts/instantiate.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/static-contracts/instantiate.rkt
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@
            (make-contract sc)]
           [else
            (define ctc (make-contract sc))
-           (cond [cache
+           (cond [(and (not (identifier? ctc)) cache)
                   (define fresh-id (generate-temporary))
                   (hash-set! cache sc (cons fresh-id ctc))
                   (set! sc-queue (cons sc sc-queue))