diff --git a/src/wasm/wasm.cpp b/src/wasm/wasm.cpp
index a8c5afa8d5d..2f905482bf6 100644
--- a/src/wasm/wasm.cpp
+++ b/src/wasm/wasm.cpp
@@ -1212,6 +1212,10 @@ void BrOn::finalize() {
       if (castType.isNullable()) {
         // Nulls take the branch, so the result is non-nullable.
         type = ref->type.with(NonNullable);
+      } else if (desc && desc->type.isNull()) {
+        // Cast will never be executed and the instruction will not be emitted.
+        // Model this with an uninhabitable cast type.
+        type = desc->type.with(NonNullable);
       } else {
         // Nulls do not take the branch, so the result is non-nullable only if
         // the input is.
diff --git a/test/lit/passes/local-subtyping-desc.wast b/test/lit/passes/local-subtyping-desc.wast
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d87bfb7ad9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lit/passes/local-subtyping-desc.wast
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+;; NOTE: Assertions have been generated by update_lit_checks.py and should not be edited.
+
+;; RUN: wasm-opt %s -all --local-subtyping -S -o - | filecheck %s
+
+(module
+ (rec
+  ;; CHECK:      (rec
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (type $struct (sub (descriptor $desc) (struct)))
+  (type $struct (sub  (descriptor $desc) (struct)))
+  ;; CHECK:       (type $desc (sub (describes $struct) (struct (field i32))))
+  (type $desc (sub  (describes $struct) (struct (field i32))))
+ )
+
+ ;; CHECK:      (func $test (type $2) (result (ref null $struct))
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (local $struct (ref none))
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (block $block (result (ref none))
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (local.set $struct
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (block ;; (replaces unreachable BrOn we can't emit)
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:     (drop
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:      (ref.null none)
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:     )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:     (drop
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:      (block (result (ref none))
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:       (ref.as_non_null
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:        (ref.null none)
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:       )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:      )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:     )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:     (unreachable)
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:    )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:   )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (unreachable)
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT:  )
+ ;; CHECK-NEXT: )
+ (func $test (result (ref null $struct))
+  ;; We can refine the local to (ref none). While doing so we must
+  ;; refinalize the br_on properly, below, to that same type (it is never
+  ;; executed). In more detail:
+  ;;
+  ;;  * Initially, after parsing, the types of its inputs are
+  ;;      ref=nullref, desc=(ref $desc).
+  ;;    That refinalizes into (ref none) for the BrOn.
+  ;;
+  ;;  * When we refinalize, the types of its inputs are
+  ;;      ref=nullref, desc=(ref none).
+  ;;    This test verifies that we fixed a bug where the BrOn was given the
+  ;;    type of the ref, i.e., nullref - which led to an assert, as we refined
+  ;;    (ref $struct) into nullref. That is, the code path handling a null
+  ;;    descriptor type did not consider that it might need to emit a non-
+  ;;    nullable type even if the ref is nullable.
+  ;;
+  (local $struct (ref $struct))
+  (block $block (result (ref null $struct))
+   (local.set $struct
+    (br_on_cast_desc_eq $block (ref null $struct) (ref null $struct)
+     (ref.null $struct)
+     (block (result (ref $desc))
+      (ref.as_non_null
+       (ref.null none)
+      )
+     )
+    )
+   )
+   (unreachable)
+  )
+ )
+)
+
diff --git a/test/lit/passes/monomorphize-desc.wast b/test/lit/passes/monomorphize-desc.wast
index 9523bc664a8..277443a41fa 100644
--- a/test/lit/passes/monomorphize-desc.wast
+++ b/test/lit/passes/monomorphize-desc.wast
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
  ;; CHECK:      (type $3 (func (result anyref)))
 
- ;; CHECK:      (type $4 (func (param nullref)))
+ ;; CHECK:      (type $4 (func (param (ref none))))
 
  ;; CHECK:      (func $target (type $2) (param $0 i32)
  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (nop)
@@ -60,6 +60,6 @@
  )
 )
 
-;; CHECK:      (func $target_2 (type $4) (param $0 nullref)
+;; CHECK:      (func $target_2 (type $4) (param $0 (ref none))
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (nop)
 ;; CHECK-NEXT: )
diff --git a/test/lit/passes/vacuum-desc.wast b/test/lit/passes/vacuum-desc.wast
index 37a7efdde26..ceb37fff0fd 100644
--- a/test/lit/passes/vacuum-desc.wast
+++ b/test/lit/passes/vacuum-desc.wast
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
 
   ;; CHECK:      (func $br-on-cast-null-desc (type $2) (param $ref anyref) (param $desc nullref)
   ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (drop
-  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (block $l (result anyref)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (block $l (result (ref none))
   ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (block ;; (replaces unreachable BrOn we can't emit)
   ;; CHECK-NEXT:     (drop
   ;; CHECK-NEXT:      (local.get $ref)
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
   ;; CHECK-NEXT: )
   ;; CKIIT:      (func $br-on-cast-null-desc (type $2) (param $ref anyref) (param $desc nullref)
   ;; CKIIT-NEXT:  (drop
-  ;; CKIIT-NEXT:   (block $l (result anyref)
+  ;; CKIIT-NEXT:   (block $l (result (ref none))
   ;; CKIIT-NEXT:    (block ;; (replaces unreachable BrOn we can't emit)
   ;; CKIIT-NEXT:     (drop
   ;; CKIIT-NEXT:      (local.get $ref)