diff --git a/lang/interfaces/unification.go b/lang/interfaces/unification.go
index e7c0a23d..06d149c7 100644
--- a/lang/interfaces/unification.go
+++ b/lang/interfaces/unification.go
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import (
 // Invariant represents a constraint that is described by the Expr's and Stmt's,
 // and which is passed into the unification solver to describe what is known by
 // the AST.
+// XXX: add the extended methods into sub-interfaces since not each invariant
+// uses them...
 type Invariant interface {
 	// TODO: should we add any other methods to this type?
 	fmt.Stringer
@@ -1049,3 +1051,34 @@ func (obj *CallFuncArgsValueInvariant) Possible(partials []Invariant) error {
 	// XXX: not implemented
 	return nil // safer to return nil than error
 }
+
+// SkipInvariant expresses that a particular expression does must not be part of
+// the final solution, and should be skipped. It can be part of the solving
+// process though.
+type SkipInvariant struct {
+	Expr Expr
+}
+
+// String returns a representation of this invariant.
+func (obj *SkipInvariant) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("skip(%p)", obj.Expr)
+}
+
+// ExprList returns the list of valid expressions in this invariant. It is not
+// used for this invariant.
+func (obj *SkipInvariant) ExprList() []Expr {
+	// XXX: not used
+	return []Expr{obj.Expr}
+}
+
+// Matches is not used for this invariant.
+func (obj *SkipInvariant) Matches(solved map[Expr]*types.Type) (bool, error) {
+	// XXX: not used
+	panic("not used")
+}
+
+// Possible is not used for this invariant.
+func (obj *SkipInvariant) Possible(partials []Invariant) error {
+	// XXX: not used
+	panic("not used")
+}
diff --git a/lang/unification/simplesolver.go b/lang/unification/simplesolver.go
index 6753bc4d..34926b73 100644
--- a/lang/unification/simplesolver.go
+++ b/lang/unification/simplesolver.go
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ func DebugSolverState(solved map[interfaces.Expr]*types.Type, equalities []inter
 		case *interfaces.AnyInvariant:
 			// skip, not used in the examples I care about
 
+		case *interfaces.SkipInvariant:
+			// we don't care about this one
+
 		default:
 			s += fmt.Sprintf("%v\n", equality)
 		}
@@ -249,6 +252,10 @@ func SimpleInvariantSolver(invariants []interfaces.Invariant, expected []interfa
 			case *interfaces.CallFuncArgsValueInvariant:
 				equalities = append(equalities, invariant)
 
+			case *interfaces.SkipInvariant:
+				// drop it for now
+				//equalities = append(equalities, invariant)
+
 			default:
 				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown invariant type: %T", x)
 			}
@@ -296,6 +303,8 @@ func SimpleInvariantSolver(invariants []interfaces.Invariant, expected []interfa
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	//skipExprs := make(map[interfaces.Expr]struct{})
+
 	// XXX: if these partials all shared the same variable definition, would
 	// it all work??? Maybe we don't even need the first map prefix...
 	listPartials := make(map[interfaces.Expr]map[interfaces.Expr]*types.Type)
@@ -1074,6 +1083,11 @@ Loop:
 				// a generator invariant wants to read them...
 				continue
 
+			case *interfaces.SkipInvariant:
+				//skipExprs[eq.Expr] = struct{}{} // save
+				used = append(used, eqi) // mark equality as used up
+				continue
+
 			default:
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown invariant type: %T", eqx)
 			}
@@ -1334,6 +1348,12 @@ Loop:
 	solutions := []*interfaces.EqualsInvariant{}
 	// FIXME: can we do this loop in a deterministic, sorted way?
 	for expr, typ := range solved {
+		// Don't do this here, or the current Unifier struct machinery
+		// will see it as a bug. Do it there until we change the API.
+		//if _, exists := skipExprs[expr]; exists {
+		//	continue
+		//}
+
 		invar := &interfaces.EqualsInvariant{
 			Expr: expr,
 			Type: typ,
diff --git a/lang/unification/unification.go b/lang/unification/unification.go
index befd10c7..cc79310e 100644
--- a/lang/unification/unification.go
+++ b/lang/unification/unification.go
@@ -72,7 +72,13 @@ func (obj *Unifier) Unify() error {
 
 	// build a list of what we think we need to solve for to succeed
 	exprs := []interfaces.Expr{}
+	skips := make(map[interfaces.Expr]struct{})
 	for _, x := range invariants {
+		if si, ok := x.(*interfaces.SkipInvariant); ok {
+			skips[si.Expr] = struct{}{}
+			continue
+		}
+
 		exprs = append(exprs, x.ExprList()...)
 	}
 	exprMap := ExprListToExprMap(exprs)    // makes searching faster
@@ -137,6 +143,10 @@ func (obj *Unifier) Unify() error {
 			// programming error ?
 			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected invalid solution at: %p", x)
 		}
+		if _, exists := skips[x.Expr]; exists {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		if obj.Debug {
 			obj.Logf("solution: %p => %+v\t(%+v)", x.Expr, x.Type, x.Expr.String())
 		}