diff --git a/ast/compile_test.go b/ast/compile_test.go
index dce2baf216..223f7eac7b 100644
--- a/ast/compile_test.go
+++ b/ast/compile_test.go
@@ -3169,6 +3169,36 @@ func TestCompilerRewritePrintCalls(t *testing.T) {
 			f(__local0__) = __local2__ { true; __local2__ = {1 | __local0__[x]; __local3__ = {__local1__ | __local1__ = x}; internal.print([__local3__])} }
 			`,
 		},
+		{
+			note: "print call of var in head key",
+			module: `package test
+			f(_) = [1, 2, 3]
+			p[x] { [_, x, _] := f(true); print(x) }`,
+			exp: `package test
+			f(__local0__) = [1, 2, 3] { true }
+			p[__local2__] { data.test.f(true, __local5__); [__local1__, __local2__, __local3__] = __local5__; __local6__ = {__local4__ | __local4__ = __local2__}; internal.print([__local6__]) }
+			`,
+		},
+		{
+			note: "print call of var in head value",
+			module: `package test
+			f(_) = [1, 2, 3]
+			p = x { [_, x, _] := f(true); print(x) }`,
+			exp: `package test
+			f(__local0__) = [1, 2, 3] { true }
+			p = __local2__ { data.test.f(true, __local5__); [__local1__, __local2__, __local3__] = __local5__; __local6__ = {__local4__ | __local4__ = __local2__}; internal.print([__local6__]) }
+			`,
+		},
+		{
+			note: "print call of vars in head key and value",
+			module: `package test
+			f(_) = [1, 2, 3]
+			p[x] = y { [_, x, y] := f(true); print(x) }`,
+			exp: `package test
+			f(__local0__) = [1, 2, 3] { true }
+			p[__local2__] = __local3__ { data.test.f(true, __local5__); [__local1__, __local2__, __local3__] = __local5__; __local6__ = {__local4__ | __local4__ = __local2__}; internal.print([__local6__]) }
+			`,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
diff --git a/ast/unify.go b/ast/unify.go
index 80e8ae31d5..60244974a9 100644
--- a/ast/unify.go
+++ b/ast/unify.go
@@ -9,10 +9,7 @@ func isRefSafe(ref Ref, safe VarSet) bool {
 	case Var:
 		return safe.Contains(head)
 	case Call:
-		vis := NewVarVisitor().WithParams(SafetyCheckVisitorParams)
-		vis.Walk(head)
-		unsafe := vis.Vars().Diff(safe)
-		return len(unsafe) == 0
+		return isCallSafe(head, safe)
 	default:
 		for v := range ref[0].Vars() {
 			if !safe.Contains(v) {
@@ -23,6 +20,13 @@ func isRefSafe(ref Ref, safe VarSet) bool {
 	}
 }
 
+func isCallSafe(call Call, safe VarSet) bool {
+	vis := NewVarVisitor().WithParams(SafetyCheckVisitorParams)
+	vis.Walk(call)
+	unsafe := vis.Vars().Diff(safe)
+	return len(unsafe) == 0
+}
+
 // Unify returns a set of variables that will be unified when the equality expression defined by
 // terms a and b is evaluated. The unifier assumes that variables in the VarSet safe are already
 // unified.
@@ -67,6 +71,10 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 			if isRefSafe(b, u.safe) {
 				u.markSafe(a)
 			}
+		case Call:
+			if isCallSafe(b, u.safe) {
+				u.markSafe(a)
+			}
 		default:
 			u.markSafe(a)
 		}
@@ -81,6 +89,16 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 			}
 		}
 
+	case Call:
+		if isCallSafe(a, u.safe) {
+			switch b := b.Value.(type) {
+			case Var:
+				u.markSafe(b)
+			case *Array, Object:
+				u.markAllSafe(b)
+			}
+		}
+
 	case *ArrayComprehension:
 		switch b := b.Value.(type) {
 		case Var:
@@ -105,8 +123,16 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 		switch b := b.Value.(type) {
 		case Var:
 			u.unifyAll(b, a)
-		case Ref, *ArrayComprehension, *ObjectComprehension, *SetComprehension:
+		case *ArrayComprehension, *ObjectComprehension, *SetComprehension:
 			u.markAllSafe(a)
+		case Ref:
+			if isRefSafe(b, u.safe) {
+				u.markAllSafe(a)
+			}
+		case Call:
+			if isCallSafe(b, u.safe) {
+				u.markAllSafe(a)
+			}
 		case *Array:
 			if a.Len() == b.Len() {
 				for i := 0; i < a.Len(); i++ {
@@ -120,7 +146,13 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 		case Var:
 			u.unifyAll(b, a)
 		case Ref:
-			u.markAllSafe(a)
+			if isRefSafe(b, u.safe) {
+				u.markAllSafe(a)
+			}
+		case Call:
+			if isCallSafe(b, u.safe) {
+				u.markAllSafe(a)
+			}
 		case *object:
 			if a.Len() == b.Len() {
 				_ = a.Iter(func(k, v *Term) error {
diff --git a/ast/unify_test.go b/ast/unify_test.go
index 0942c2c6ea..9ea34eb6d7 100644
--- a/ast/unify_test.go
+++ b/ast/unify_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
 
 package ast
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+)
 
 func TestUnify(t *testing.T) {
 
@@ -28,10 +31,16 @@ func TestUnify(t *testing.T) {
 		{"object/var", `{"x": 1, "y": x} = y`, "[x]", "[y]"},
 		{"object/var (reversed)", `y = {"x": 1, "y": x}`, "[x]", "[y]"},
 		{"object/var-2", `{"x": 1, "y": x} = y`, "[y]", "[x]"},
-		{"object/var-3", `{"x": 1, "y": x} = y`, "[]", "[]"},
 		{"object/uneven", `{"x": x, "y": 1} = {"x": y}`, "[]", "[]"},
 		{"object/uneven", `{"x": x, "y": 1} = {"x": y}`, "[x]", "[]"},
-		{"call", "x = f(y)[z]", "[y]", "[x]"},
+		{"var/call-ref", "x = f(y)[z]", "[y]", "[x]"},
+		{"var/call-ref (reversed)", "f(y)[z] = x", "[y]", "[x]"},
+		{"var/call", "x = f(z)", "[z]", "[x]"},
+		{"var/call (reversed)", "f(z) = x", "[z]", "[x]"},
+		{"array/call", "[x, y] = f(z)", "[z]", "[x,y]"},
+		{"array/call (reversed)", "f(z) = [x, y]", "[z]", "[x,y]"},
+		{"object/call", `{"a": x} = f(z)`, "[z]", "[x]"},
+		{"object/call (reversed)", `f(z) = {"a": x}`, "[z]", "[x]"},
 
 		// transitive cases
 		{"trans/redundant", "[x, x] = [x, 0]", "[]", "[x]"},
@@ -43,10 +52,44 @@ func TestUnify(t *testing.T) {
 		{"trans/redundant-nested", "[x, z, z] = [1, [y, x], [2, 1]]", "[]", "[x, y, z]"},
 		{"trans/bidirectional", "[x, z, y] = [[z,y], [1,y], 2]", "[]", "[x, y, z]"},
 		{"trans/occurs", "[x, z, y] = [[y,z], [y, 1], [2, x]]", "[]", "[]"},
+
+		// unsafe refs
+		{note: "array/ref", expr: "[1,2,x] = a[_]"},
+		{note: "array/ref (reversed)", expr: "a[_] = [1,2,x]"},
+		{note: "object/ref", expr: `{"x": x} = a[_]`},
+		{note: "object/ref (reversed)", expr: `a[_] = {"x": x}`},
+		{note: "var/call-ref", expr: "x = f(y)[z]"},
+		{note: "var/call-ref (reversed)", expr: "f(y)[z] = x"},
+
+		// unsafe vars
+		{note: "array/var", expr: "[1,2,x] = y"},
+		{note: "array/var (reversed)", expr: "y = [1,2,x]"},
+		{note: "object/var", expr: `{"x": 1, "y": x} = y`},
+		{note: "object/var (reversed)", expr: `y = {"x": 1, "y": x}`},
+		{note: "var/call", expr: "x = f(z)"},
+		{note: "var/call (reversed)", expr: "f(z) = x"},
+
+		// unsafe call args
+		{note: "var/call-2", expr: "x = f(z)", safe: "[x]"},
+		{note: "var/call-2 (reversed)", expr: "f(z) = x", safe: "[x]"},
+		{note: "array/call", expr: "[x, y] = f(z)", safe: "[x,y]"},
+		{note: "array/call (reversed)", expr: "f(z) = [x, y]", safe: "[x,y]"},
+		{note: "object/call", expr: `{"a": x} = f(z)`, safe: "[x]"},
+		{note: "object/call (reversed)", expr: `f(z) = {"a": x}`, safe: "[x]"},
+
+		// partial cases
+		{note: "trans/ref", expr: "[x, y, [x, y, i]] = [1, a[i], z]", safe: "[a]", expected: "[x, y]"},
+		{note: "trans/ref", expr: "[x, y, [x, y, i]] = [1, a[i], z]", expected: "[x]"},
 	}
 
-	for i, tc := range tests {
-		t.Run(tc.note, func(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		if tc.expected == "" {
+			tc.expected = "[]"
+		}
+		if tc.safe == "" {
+			tc.safe = "[]"
+		}
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", tc.note, tc.safe, tc.expected), func(t *testing.T) {
 
 			expr := MustParseBody(tc.expr)[0]
 			safe := VarSet{}
@@ -74,7 +117,7 @@ func TestUnify(t *testing.T) {
 			missing := expected.Diff(result)
 			extra := result.Diff(expected)
 			if len(missing) != 0 || len(extra) != 0 {
-				t.Fatalf("%s (%d): Missing vars: %v, extra vars: %v", tc.note, i, missing, extra)
+				t.Fatalf("missing vars: %v, extra vars: %v", missing, extra)
 			}
 		})
 	}