diff --git a/scripts/empty.toy b/scripts/empty.toy
index 3766a55..b727c01 100644
--- a/scripts/empty.toy
+++ b/scripts/empty.toy
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 
 
 //BUG: this causes a strange error message
-if (true) {
-	;
-}
-else {
-	;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+if (true);
+else;
diff --git a/source/literal.c b/source/literal.c
index 1fddebc..8826e7f 100644
--- a/source/literal.c
+++ b/source/literal.c
@@ -381,7 +381,8 @@ bool literalsAreEqual(Literal lhs, Literal rhs) {
 	}
 
 	switch(lhs.type) {
-		//NOTE: null covered by check at the top of the function
+		case LITERAL_NULL:
+			return true; //can only be true because of the check above
 
 		case LITERAL_BOOLEAN:
 			return AS_BOOLEAN(lhs) == AS_BOOLEAN(rhs);