diff --git a/compiler/ccgcalls.nim b/compiler/ccgcalls.nim
index 4dc6988a3d..140564c444 100644
--- a/compiler/ccgcalls.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgcalls.nim
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ proc preventNrvo(p: BProc; dest, le: PNode; ri: AnyNode): bool =
         return true
 
   result = false
-  if not le.isNilNode:
+  if le != nil:
     for r in sonsFrom(ri, 1):
       # `isPartOf` compares field symbols by identity and so has not moved to
       # the seam; `origin` hands it the same nodes it always compared.
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ proc preventNrvo(p: BProc; dest, le: PNode; ri: AnyNode): bool =
         locationEscapes(p, le, p.nestedTryStmts.len > 0):
       message(p.config, le.info, warnObservableStores, $le)
   # bug #19613 prevent dangerous aliasing too:
-  if not dest.isNilNode and dest != le:
+  if dest != nil and dest != le:
     for r in sonsFrom(ri, 1):
       if isPartOf(dest, origin(r), {pfStructural}) != arNo: return true
 
diff --git a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
index bdbd826e45..56cc6668c4 100644
--- a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
@@ -186,8 +186,10 @@ proc genRefAssign(p: BProc, dest, src: TLoc) =
     let rs = rdLoc(src)
     p.s(cpsStmts).addCallStmt(fnName, cCast(ptrType(CPointer), rad), rs)
 
-proc asgnComplexity(n: AnyNode): int =
-  if not n.isNilNode:
+proc asgnComplexity(n: PNode): int =
+  ## Walks a TYPE's record tree (`PType.n`), never a body, so it is not a
+  ## migration candidate — see the type-record-tree blocker in `bnode`.
+  if n != nil:
     case n.kind
     of nkSym: result = 1
     of nkRecCase:
@@ -1867,7 +1869,7 @@ proc genFieldObjConstr[F: AnyNode; V: AnyNode](p: BProc; ty: PType; useTemp, isR
   let field = lookupFieldAgain(p, ty, nField.sym, tmp2.snippet)
   if field.loc.snippet == "": fillObjectFields(p.module, ty)
   if field.loc.snippet == "": internalError(p.config, info, "genFieldObjConstr")
-  if not check.isNilNode and optFieldCheck in p.options:
+  if check != nil and optFieldCheck in p.options:
     genFieldCheck(p, check, r, field, ty)
   tmp2.snippet = dotField(tmp2.snippet, field.loc.snippet)
   if useTemp:
@@ -3872,14 +3874,15 @@ proc isOpaqueImportcType(t: PType): bool =
     if tfCompleteStruct notin t.flags:
       if tfIncompleteStruct in t.flags:
         return true
-      if t.kind == tyObject and (t.n.isNilNode or not t.n.hasSons):
+      if t.kind == tyObject and (t.n == nil or not t.n.hasSons):
         return true
   return false
 
 proc containsOpaqueImportcField(typ: PType): bool
 
-proc containsOpaqueImportcFieldAux(t: PType; n: AnyNode): bool =
-  if n.isNilNode: return false
+proc containsOpaqueImportcFieldAux(t: PType; n: PNode): bool =
+  ## Also a type-record walk; `n` is `t.n`.
+  if n == nil: return false
   case n.kind
   of nkRecList:
     for child in sons(n):
diff --git a/compiler/cgen.nim b/compiler/cgen.nim
index d2933d8af0..cefd0f7f79 100644
--- a/compiler/cgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/cgen.nim
@@ -135,11 +135,11 @@ proc signatureHasMetaType*(t: PType; depth: int = 0): bool =
     # `HashList[T, N]`, …) is carried as a `tyStatic` node inside the otherwise
     # fully-concrete `tyGenericInst`, but it is NOT meta: the routine is a normal
     # runtime routine the owner must emit. Only an UNRESOLVED `static T` parameter
-    # (no bound value, `t.n.isNilNode`) is meta. Without this, every routine whose
+    # (no bound value, `t.n == nil`) is meta. Without this, every routine whose
     # signature touches a `static`-parameterized generic instance (the bulk of
     # the SSZ/`MDigest` API) is dropped from the owned-routine seeding and ends up
     # an undefined reference at link (mirrors the tyGenericBody case above).
-    return t.n.isNilNode
+    return t.n == nil
   if t.kind in {tyTyped, tyUntyped, tyTypeDesc, tyGenericParam,
                 tyAnything, tyFromExpr, tyError}:
     return true
@@ -1748,7 +1748,7 @@ when defined(newIcBackend):
     # `(ht . <sym>)` type difference. Only a subtree that clean is handed to
     # `grindPredicates` — see the descent below for why.
     result = true
-    if a.isNilNode:
+    if a == nil:
       if not c.isNilNode: bail("nil-ness", "not-nil", "nil")
       return
     if c.isNilNode: bail("nil-ness", "nil", "not-nil")
@@ -1891,7 +1891,7 @@ when defined(newIcBackend):
     ## disagreement with the original, so both directions are checked by the one
     ## oracle rather than by a hand-written comparator that could agree with the
     ## bug.
-    if bnodeGrind == 0 or body.isNilNode: return
+    if bnodeGrind == 0 or body == nil: return
     let htBefore = tolHtNil
     let fieldBefore = tolFieldSym
 
@@ -1908,7 +1908,7 @@ when defined(newIcBackend):
     # Asserted rather than assumed, with `==` on the reference: an equal copy
     # would not do.
     proc grindOrigins(enc: var BridgeBuf; c: BNode; a: PNode; path: string) =
-      if a.isNilNode: return
+      if a == nil: return
       # Through the AMBIENT accessor (`bnode.origin`, via `currentNav`), which
       # is the one a migrated generator proc will call from inside `initLoc` —
       # not the direct `originOf`, which would test a path nothing uses.
@@ -1988,7 +1988,7 @@ when defined(newIcBackend):
     let ast = prc.ast
     if ast == nil or ast.safeLen <= bodyPos: return
     let body = son(ast, bodyPos)
-    if body.isNilNode: return
+    if body == nil: return
     var scope = default(BodyScope)
     var viaCursor = default(BNode)
     if not lazyBodyBNode(body, scope, viaCursor): return