diff --git a/src/runtime/python/expr.c b/src/runtime/python/expr.c
index 2e281afe8..02a3ee325 100644
--- a/src/runtime/python/expr.c
+++ b/src/runtime/python/expr.c
@@ -129,16 +129,17 @@ static PyObject *
 ExprLit_richcompare(ExprLitObject *t1, ExprLitObject *t2, int op)
 {
     bool same = false;
-    if (t1->type != t2->type) goto done;
-
-    if (t1->type == 0) {
+    if (PyLong_Check(t1->value)) {
+        if (!PyLong_Check(t2->value)) goto done;
         int o1, o2;
         int l1 = PyLong_AsLongAndOverflow(t1->value, &o1);
         int l2 = PyLong_AsLongAndOverflow(t2->value, &o2);
         if (!(l1 == l2 && o1 == o2)) goto done;
-    } else if (t1->type == 1) {
+    } else if (PyFloat_Check(t1->value)) {
+        if (!PyFloat_Check(t2->value)) goto done;
         if (PyFloat_AsDouble(t1->value) != PyFloat_AsDouble(t2->value)) goto done;
-    } else if (t1->type == 2) {
+    } else if (PyString_Check(t1->value)) {
+        if (!PyString_Check(t2->value)) goto done;
         if (PyString_Compare(t1->value, t2->value) != 0) goto done;
     } else {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "unknown literal type");
diff --git a/src/runtime/python/expr.h b/src/runtime/python/expr.h
index 3c7ada762..fd28638a7 100644
--- a/src/runtime/python/expr.h
+++ b/src/runtime/python/expr.h
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 typedef struct {
     PyObject_HEAD
-    int type;   // 0 = int, 1 = float, 2 = str
-    PyObject *value; // depends on type
+    PyObject *value;
 } ExprLitObject;
 
 extern PyTypeObject pgf_ExprType;
diff --git a/src/runtime/python/marshaller.c b/src/runtime/python/marshaller.c
index c5f575a9c..891761b03 100644
--- a/src/runtime/python/marshaller.c
+++ b/src/runtime/python/marshaller.c
@@ -28,21 +28,8 @@ PgfExpr eapp(PgfUnmarshaller *this, PgfExpr fun, PgfExpr arg)
 PgfExpr elit(PgfUnmarshaller *this, PgfLiteral lit)
 {
     ExprLitObject *pyexpr = (ExprLitObject *)pgf_ExprLitType.tp_alloc(&pgf_ExprLitType, 0);
-
     PyObject *pyobj = (PyObject *)lit;
     pyexpr->value = pyobj;
-
-    if (PyLong_Check(pyobj)) {
-        pyexpr->type = 0;
-    } else if (PyFloat_Check(pyobj)) {
-        pyexpr->type = 1;
-    } else if (PyString_Check(pyobj)) {
-        pyexpr->type = 2;
-    } else {
-        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "unable to unmarshall literal");
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     Py_INCREF(pyobj);
     return (PgfExpr) pyexpr;
 }
@@ -208,6 +195,8 @@ object match_expr(PgfUnmarshaller *u, PgfExpr expr)
 
 object match_type(PgfUnmarshaller *u, PgfType ty)
 {
+    // PySys_WriteStdout(">match_type<\n");
+
     TypeObject *type = (TypeObject *)ty;
 
     // PySys_WriteStdout(">%s<\n", PyUnicode_AS_DATA(type->cat));