diff --git a/stage0/sema.c b/stage0/sema.c
index a0fa20b9e1..a0c4d78326 100644
--- a/stage0/sema.c
+++ b/stage0/sema.c
@@ -1326,8 +1326,10 @@ static AirInstRef zirCmpEq(
         TypeIndex result_ty
             = (lhs_ty == IP_INDEX_COMPTIME_INT_TYPE) ? rhs_ty : lhs_ty;
         if (result_ty != IP_INDEX_COMPTIME_INT_TYPE) {
-            lhs = semaCoerce(sema, block, result_ty, lhs);
-            rhs = semaCoerce(sema, block, result_ty, rhs);
+            // Coerce for IP side effects (creates typed int entries);
+            // comparison uses captured lhs_lo/rhs_lo values.
+            (void)semaCoerce(sema, block, result_ty, lhs);
+            (void)semaCoerce(sema, block, result_ty, rhs);
         }
         bool eq = (lhs_lo == rhs_lo && lhs_hi == rhs_hi);
         return AIR_REF_FROM_IP((eq == (air_tag == AIR_INST_CMP_EQ))