diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Optimize.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Optimize.hs
index 28d0a7acb..4fec7e0b6 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Optimize.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Optimize.hs
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ mkLinReference gr typ =
        RecType [] -> Bad "no string"
        RecType rs -> do
          msum (map (\(l,ty) -> mkDefField ty (P trm l)) (sortRec rs))
+           `mplus` Bad "no string"
        _ | Just _ <- isTypeInts typ -> Bad "no string"
        _ -> Bad (render ("linearization type field cannot be" <+> typ))