diff --git a/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl b/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
index d1be326529112..2ad5ae0daf248 100644
--- a/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
@@ -97,20 +97,39 @@ end
 # if this load at `idx` have any "safe" `setfield!` calls that define the field
 function has_safe_def(
     ir::IRCode, domtree::DomTree, allblocks::Vector{Int}, du::SSADefUse,
-    newidx::Int, idx::Int, inclusive::Bool = false)
-    def = first(find_def_for_use(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, idx, inclusive))
-
-    # this field is supposed to be defined at the `:new` site (but it's not and thus this load will throw)
+    newidx::Int, idx::Int)
+    def, _, _ = find_def_for_use(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, idx)
+    # will throw since we already checked this `:new` site doesn't define this field
     def == newidx && return false
+    # found a "safe" definition
+    def ≠ 0 && return true
+    # we may still be able to replace this load with `PhiNode`
+    block = block_for_inst(ir, idx)
+    seen = BitSet(block)
+    return has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, newidx, block, seen)
+end
 
-    def ≠ 0 && return true # found a "safe" definition
-
-    # we may be able to replace this load with `PhiNode` if all the predecessors have "safe" definitions
-    idxblock = block_for_inst(ir, idx)
-    for pred in ir.cfg.blocks[idxblock].preds
-        lastidx = last(ir.cfg.blocks[pred].stmts)
-        # NOTE `lastidx` isn't a load, thus we can use inclusive coondition within the `find_def_for_use`
-        has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, newidx, lastidx, true) || return false
+# recursively examine if all predecessors of `block` have any "safe" definition
+# XXX this implementation avoids infinite cycles by maintaining a sigle set of seen basic blocks,
+# and obviously it doesn't handle cycles very well
+function has_safe_def(
+    ir::IRCode, domtree::DomTree, allblocks::Vector{Int}, du::SSADefUse,
+    newidx::Int, block::Int, seen::BitSet)
+    preds = ir.cfg.blocks[block].preds
+    isempty(preds) && return false
+    for pred in preds
+        # if this block has already been examined, we should bail out to avoid infinite cycles
+        pred in seen && return false
+        idx = last(ir.cfg.blocks[pred].stmts)
+        # NOTE `idx` isn't a load, thus we can use inclusive coondition within the `find_def_for_use`
+        def, _, _ = find_def_for_use(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, idx, true)
+        # will throw since we already checked this `:new` site doesn't define this field
+        def == newidx && return false
+        # found a "safe" definition for this predecessor
+        def ≠ 0 && continue
+        # check for the predecessors of this predecessor
+        push!(seen, pred)
+        has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, newidx, pred, seen) || return false
     end
     return true
 end
@@ -599,8 +618,8 @@ function perform_lifting!(compact::IncrementalCompact,
     return stmt_val # N.B. should never happen
 end
 
-# NOTE we use `IdSet{Int}` instead of `BitSet` for `sroa_pass!` since it works on IR after inlining,
-# which can be very large sometimes, and analyzed program counters are often very sparse
+# NOTE we use `IdSet{Int}` instead of `BitSet` for in these passes since they work on IR after inlining,
+# which can be very large sometimes, and program counters in question are often very sparse
 const SPCSet = IdSet{Int}
 
 """
@@ -897,8 +916,8 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode, defuses::IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse
                     end
                 end
                 for b in phiblocks
+                    n = ir[phinodes[b]]::PhiNode
                     for p in ir.cfg.blocks[b].preds
-                        n = ir[phinodes[b]]::PhiNode
                         push!(n.edges, p)
                         push!(n.values, compute_value_for_block(ir, domtree,
                             allblocks, du, phinodes, fidx, p))
@@ -967,7 +986,7 @@ function count_uses(@nospecialize(stmt), uses::Vector{Int})
     end
 end
 
-function mark_phi_cycles!(compact::IncrementalCompact, safe_phis::BitSet, phi::Int)
+function mark_phi_cycles!(compact::IncrementalCompact, safe_phis::SPCSet, phi::Int)
     worklist = Int[]
     push!(worklist, phi)
     while !isempty(worklist)
@@ -1037,7 +1056,7 @@ function adce_pass!(ir::IRCode)
     changed = true
     while changed
         changed = false
-        safe_phis = BitSet()
+        safe_phis = SPCSet()
         for phi in all_phis
             # Save any phi cycles that have non-phi uses
             if compact.used_ssas[phi] - phi_uses[phi] != 0