diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/signatures.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/signatures.rkt
index bc6c0fff..22474b4b 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/signatures.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/signatures.rkt
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@
                                                  (values full-tc-results/c full-tc-results/c))]))
 
 (define-signature tc-app^
-  ([cond-contracted tc/app (syntax? . -> . full-tc-results/c)]
-   [cond-contracted tc/app/check (syntax? tc-results/c . -> . full-tc-results/c)]
+  ([cond-contracted tc/app (syntax? (or/c tc-results/c #f) . -> . full-tc-results/c)]
    [cond-contracted tc/app-regular (syntax? (or/c tc-results/c #f) . -> . full-tc-results/c)]))
 
 (define-signature tc-apply^
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-hetero.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-hetero.rkt
index a047523f..b6b4da03 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-hetero.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-hetero.rkt
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
                                #:when (eq? 'vector (Type-key t)))
                       t))
        (match u-ts
-         [(list t0) (tc/app/check #'(#%plain-app . form) (ret t0))]
+         [(list t0) (tc/app #'(#%plain-app . form) (ret t0))]
          [_ (continue)])]
       ;; since vectors are mutable, if there is no expected type, we want to generalize the element type
       [(or #f (tc-any-results: _) (tc-result1: _))
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-main.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-main.rkt
index 064fcbe4..a6469364 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-main.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-app/tc-app-main.rkt
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@
   tc/app-regular*)
 
 ;; the main dispatching function
-;; syntax tc-results/c -> tc-results/c
-(define (tc/app/internal form expected)
+;; syntax (or/c tc-results/c #f) -> tc-results/c
+(define (tc/app form expected)
   (syntax-parse form
     [(#%plain-app . (~var v (tc/app-special-cases expected)))
      ((attribute v.check))]))
@@ -95,11 +95,3 @@
                   (single-value a)))]
            [_ (map single-value args*)]))
        (tc/funapp #'f #'args f-ty arg-tys expected))]))
-
-;(trace tc/app/internal)
-
-;; syntax -> tc-results
-(define (tc/app form) (tc/app/internal form #f))
-
-;; syntax tc-results/c -> tc-results/c
-(define (tc/app/check form expected) (tc/app/internal form expected))
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-expr-unit.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-expr-unit.rkt
index c1621c6d..09af8551 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-expr-unit.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/tc-expr-unit.rkt
@@ -142,10 +142,7 @@
           ;(tc-expr/check #'e3 expected)
           (tc-error/expr "with-continuation-mark requires a continuation-mark-key, but got ~a" key-t)])]
       ;; application
-      [(#%plain-app . _)
-       (if expected
-           (tc/app/check form expected)
-           (tc/app form))]
+      [(#%plain-app . _) (tc/app form expected)]
       ;; #%expression
       [(#%expression e) (tc/#%expression form expected)]
       ;; syntax