diff --git a/src/compiler.pr b/src/compiler.pr
index 4cb2aa3..ec3ff0b 100644
--- a/src/compiler.pr
+++ b/src/compiler.pr
@@ -1489,6 +1489,18 @@ def convert_ref_to_ref(tpe: &typechecking::Type, value: Value, loc: &Value, stat
 def convert_ref_to_ptr(tpe: &typechecking::Type, value: Value, loc: &Value, state: &State) -> Value {
     if is_weak_ref(value.tpe) {
         let meta = state.extract_value(pointer(ref_meta), value, [0], loc)
+
+        let ref_value = state.ptr_to_int(meta, loc)
+        let isnull = state.icmp(CompareInt::eq, ref_value, 
+            [ kind = ValueKind::INT, tpe = builtins::int64_, i = 0 ] !Value, loc)
+
+        let br1 = make_insn_dbg(InsnKind::BR, loc)
+        br1.value.br = [ cond = isnull ] !InsnBr
+        push_insn(br1, state)
+        let nonnull = make_label(state)
+        push_label(nonnull, state)
+        br1.value.br.if_false = nonnull
+
         let meta_val = state.load(ref_meta, meta, loc)
         let cnt = state.extract_value(builtins::int64_, meta_val, [0], loc)
         let iszero = state.icmp(CompareInt::sle, cnt, [ kind = ValueKind::INT, tpe = builtins::int64_, i = 0 ] !Value)
@@ -1500,6 +1512,7 @@ def convert_ref_to_ptr(tpe: &typechecking::Type, value: Value, loc: &Value, stat
         let if_true = make_label(state)
         push_label(if_true, state)
         br.value.br.if_true = if_true
+        br1.value.br.if_true = if_true
 
         // Null pointer
         state.store(res, [ kind = ValueKind::ZEROINITIALIZER, tpe = pointer(tpe.tpe) ] !Value)