diff --git a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/mod.rs
index 003a950095e4d..d3262bd6a6f96 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/mod.rs
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ fn do_normalize_predicates<'tcx>(
     let elaborated_env = if tcx.next_trait_solver_globally()
         && !tcx.disable_param_env_normalization_hack()
     {
-        let elaborated_env = ty::set_aliases_to_rigid(tcx, elaborated_env);
+        let elaborated_env = ty::set_type_aliases_to_rigid(tcx, elaborated_env);
         let elaborated_env = set_projection_term_to_non_rigid(tcx, elaborated_env.caller_bounds());
         ty::ParamEnv::new(tcx.mk_clauses_from_iter(elaborated_env))
     } else {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/fold.rs b/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/fold.rs
index 14fde5e399994..6a13997ceb0d9 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/fold.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/fold.rs
@@ -584,6 +584,13 @@ where
     set_aliases_rigidness_with_mode(cx, value, RigidnessFoldMode::AllToRigid)
 }
 
+pub fn set_type_aliases_to_rigid<I: Interner, T>(cx: I, value: T) -> T
+where
+    T: TypeFoldable<I>,
+{
+    set_aliases_rigidness_with_mode(cx, value, RigidnessFoldMode::TypeToRigid)
+}
+
 fn set_aliases_rigidness_with_mode<I: Interner, T>(cx: I, value: T, mode: RigidnessFoldMode) -> T
 where
     T: TypeFoldable<I>,
@@ -597,8 +604,9 @@ where
 }
 
 enum RigidnessFoldMode {
-    AllToNonRigid,
     AllToRigid,
+    AllToNonRigid,
+    TypeToRigid,
     OpaqueToNonRigid,
 }
 
@@ -607,6 +615,10 @@ impl RigidnessFoldMode {
         match self {
             RigidnessFoldMode::AllToRigid => v.has_non_rigid_aliases(),
             RigidnessFoldMode::AllToNonRigid => v.has_rigid_aliases(),
+            RigidnessFoldMode::TypeToRigid => {
+                v.has_non_rigid_aliases()
+                    && v.has_type_flags(ty::TypeFlags::HAS_ALIAS - ty::TypeFlags::HAS_CONST_ALIAS)
+            }
             RigidnessFoldMode::OpaqueToNonRigid => v.has_rigid_aliases() && v.has_opaque_types(),
         }
     }
@@ -637,7 +649,7 @@ impl<I: Interner> TypeFolder<I> for RigidnessFolder<I> {
             ty::Alias(is_rigid, alias_ty) => {
                 let alias_ty = alias_ty.fold_with(self);
                 match self.mode {
-                    RigidnessFoldMode::AllToRigid => {
+                    RigidnessFoldMode::AllToRigid | RigidnessFoldMode::TypeToRigid => {
                         I::Ty::new_alias(self.cx(), ty::IsRigid::Yes, alias_ty)
                     }
                     RigidnessFoldMode::AllToNonRigid => {
@@ -671,7 +683,7 @@ impl<I: Interner> TypeFolder<I> for RigidnessFolder<I> {
                     RigidnessFoldMode::AllToNonRigid => {
                         I::Const::new_alias(self.cx(), ty::IsRigid::No, alias_const)
                     }
-                    RigidnessFoldMode::OpaqueToNonRigid => {
+                    RigidnessFoldMode::OpaqueToNonRigid | RigidnessFoldMode::TypeToRigid => {
                         I::Const::new_alias(self.cx(), is_rigid, alias_const)
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/tests/ui/traits/next-solver/normalize/dont-mark-const-aliases-as-rigid-in-param-env.rs b/tests/ui/traits/next-solver/normalize/dont-mark-const-aliases-as-rigid-in-param-env.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0c3fb9fcbea3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/traits/next-solver/normalize/dont-mark-const-aliases-as-rigid-in-param-env.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//@ revisions: old next
+//@[next] compile-flags: -Znext-solver
+//@ check-pass
+
+// Regression test for trait-system-refactor-initiative#279.
+// The old solver treats unnormalized param env as rigid when normalizing param
+// env. However, it eagerly evaluates const aliases in param env before doing
+// full normalization.
+// We previously treated unevaluated const aliases as rigid in the next solver.
+
+trait Trait {
+    type Assoc;
+}
+
+fn foo<T>()
+where
+    [T; 1 + 1]: Trait,
+    // When normalizing this associated type, we couldn't prove the trait
+    // predicate. Because the unnormalized trait clause is marked as rigid
+    // and can't be used as a matching param env candidate.
+    <[T; 2] as Trait>::Assoc: Copy,
+{}
+
+fn main() {}