diff --git a/compiler/semtypinst.nim b/compiler/semtypinst.nim
index c315cbebb60ce..1a9fa5589b564 100644
--- a/compiler/semtypinst.nim
+++ b/compiler/semtypinst.nim
@@ -166,6 +166,36 @@ proc reResolveCallsWithTypedescParams(cl: var TReplTypeVars, n: PNode): PNode =
 
   return n
 
+proc replaceObjBranches(cl: TReplTypeVars, n: PNode): PNode =
+  result = n
+  case n.kind
+  of nkNone..nkNilLit:
+    discard
+  of nkRecWhen:
+    var branch: PNode = nil              # the branch to take
+    for i in countup(0, sonsLen(n) - 1):
+      var it = n.sons[i]
+      if it == nil: illFormedAst(n, cl.c.config)
+      case it.kind
+      of nkElifBranch:
+        checkSonsLen(it, 2, cl.c.config)
+        var cond = it.sons[0]
+        var e = cl.c.semConstExpr(cl.c, cond)
+        if e.kind != nkIntLit:
+          internalError(cl.c.config, e.info, "ReplaceTypeVarsN: when condition not a bool")
+        if e.intVal != 0 and branch == nil: branch = it.sons[1]
+      of nkElse:
+        checkSonsLen(it, 1, cl.c.config)
+        if branch == nil: branch = it.sons[0]
+      else: illFormedAst(n, cl.c.config)
+    if branch != nil:
+      result = replaceObjBranches(cl, branch)
+    else:
+      result = newNodeI(nkRecList, n.info)
+  else:
+    for i in 0..<n.sonsLen:
+      n.sons[i] = replaceObjBranches(cl, n.sons[i])
+
 proc replaceTypeVarsN(cl: var TReplTypeVars, n: PNode; start=0): PNode =
   if n == nil: return
   result = copyNode(n)
@@ -541,6 +571,16 @@ proc replaceTypeVarsTAux(cl: var TReplTypeVars, t: PType): PType =
         skipIntLiteralParams(result)
 
       else: discard
+    else:
+      # If this type doesn't refer to a generic type we may still want to run it
+      # trough replaceObjBranches in order to resolve any pending nkRecWhen nodes
+      result = t
+
+      # Slow path, we have some work to do
+      if result.n != nil and t.kind == tyObject:
+        # Invalidate the type size as we may alter its structure
+        result.size = -1
+        result.n = replaceObjBranches(cl, result.n)
 
 proc instAllTypeBoundOp*(c: PContext, info: TLineInfo) =
   var i = 0
diff --git a/tests/objects/twhen1.nim b/tests/objects/twhen1.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2301d255a805f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/objects/twhen1.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+const Z = 0
+
+type
+  Foo[T] = object
+   when true:
+     u: int
+   else:
+     v: int
+  Foo1[T] = object
+   when T is int:
+     x: T
+   elif true:
+     z: char
+  Foo2[x:static[int]] = object
+    when (x and 1) == 1:
+      x: array[x+1,int]
+    else:
+      x: array[x,int]
+
+  Foo3 = Foo2[128]
+
+  # #8417
+  Foo4[A: static[int]] = object
+    when Z == 0:
+      discard
+    else:
+      discard
+
+block:
+  var x: Foo[int] = Foo[int](u: 42)
+  doAssert x.u == 42
+
+# Don't evaluate `when` branches before the type is instantiated
+block:
+  var x: Foo1[bool] = Foo1[bool](z: 'o')
+  doAssert x.z == 'o'
+
+block:
+  var x: Foo2[3]
+  doAssert x.x.len == 4
+
+block:
+  var x: Foo2[4]
+  doAssert x.x.len == 4
+
+block:
+  var x: Foo3
+  doAssert x.x.len == 128
+
+block:
+  var x: Foo4[0]