diff --git a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
index 4ef63f3cbaae1..11056f2131874 100644
--- a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
@@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@ function typeinf_local(interp::AbstractInterpreter, frame::InferenceState)
                 frame.cur_hand = Pair{Any,Any}(l, frame.cur_hand)
                 # propagate type info to exception handler
                 old = s[l]
-                new = s[pc]::Array{Any,1}
+                new = s[pc]::VarTable
                 newstate_catch = stupdate!(old, new)
                 if newstate_catch !== false
                     if l < frame.pc´´
diff --git a/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl b/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
index d1733d7d743ad..988f2eefa261e 100644
--- a/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ mutable struct InferenceState
     world::UInt
     valid_worlds::WorldRange
     nargs::Int
-    stmt_types::Vector{Any}
+    stmt_types::Vector{Union{Nothing, Vector{Any}}} # ::Vector{Union{Nothing, VarTable}}
     stmt_edges::Vector{Union{Nothing, Vector{Any}}}
     stmt_info::Vector{Any}
     # return type
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ mutable struct InferenceState
 
         n = length(code)
         s_edges = Union{Nothing, Vector{Any}}[ nothing for i = 1:n ]
-        s_types = Any[ nothing for i = 1:n ]
+        s_types = Union{Nothing, Vector{Any}}[ nothing for i = 1:n ]
 
         # initial types
         nslots = length(src.slotflags)
diff --git a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
index 243c1ab410ccd..5082b01ea5036 100644
--- a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ function type_annotate!(sv::InferenceState)
     src = sv.src
     states = sv.stmt_types
     nargs = sv.nargs
-    nslots = length(states[1]::Array{Any,1})
+    nslots = length(states[1]::VarTable)
     undefs = fill(false, nslots)
     body = src.code::Array{Any,1}
     nexpr = length(body)