diff --git a/compiler/codegen/src/ir.rs b/compiler/codegen/src/ir.rs
index 9106d3fdf..662ba81db 100644
--- a/compiler/codegen/src/ir.rs
+++ b/compiler/codegen/src/ir.rs
@@ -244,8 +244,10 @@ impl CodeInfo {
                     let instr_display = instr.display(display_arg, self);
                     eprint!("{instr_display}: {depth} {effect:+} => ");
                 }
-                // Either it's less than 0 or more than u32. Option 1 is far more likely unless something is seriously wrong.
-                let new_depth = depth.checked_add_signed(effect).expect("The stack is detected to have likely been reduced to less than 0 elements, this is a bug.");
+                if effect < 0 && depth < effect.abs() as u32 {
+                    panic!("The stack will underflow at {depth} with {effect} effect on {instr:?}");
+                }
+                let new_depth = depth.checked_add_signed(effect).unwrap();
                 if DEBUG {
                     eprintln!("{new_depth}");
                 }