diff --git a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
index 9b7434c0a5a45..5ea1d761f1b26 100644
--- a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
@@ -1846,7 +1846,12 @@ function typeinf_local(interp::AbstractInterpreter, frame::InferenceState)
 end
 
 function conditional_changes(changes::VarTable, @nospecialize(typ), var::Slot)
-    if typ ⊑ (changes[slot_id(var)]::VarState).typ
+    oldtyp = (changes[slot_id(var)]::VarState).typ
+    # approximate test for `typ ∩ oldtyp` being better than `oldtyp`
+    # since we probably formed these types with `typesubstract`, the comparison is likely simple
+    if ignorelimited(typ) ⊑ ignorelimited(oldtyp)
+        # typ is better unlimited, but we may still need to compute the tmeet with the limit "causes" since we ignored those in the comparison
+        oldtyp isa LimitedAccuracy && (typ = tmerge(typ, LimitedAccuracy(Bottom, oldtyp.causes)))
         return StateUpdate(var, VarState(typ, false), changes, true)
     end
     return changes
diff --git a/base/compiler/typelattice.jl b/base/compiler/typelattice.jl
index 0f3dd7b4a84ed..a4064a7fa3ca6 100644
--- a/base/compiler/typelattice.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/typelattice.jl
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ struct StateUpdate
 end
 
 # Represent that the type estimate has been approximated, due to "causes"
-# (only used in abstractinterpret, doesn't appear in optimize)
+# (only used in abstract interpretion, doesn't appear in optimization)
 # N.B. in the lattice, this is epsilon smaller than `typ` (except Union{})
 struct LimitedAccuracy
     typ