diff --git a/src/ir/bits.h b/src/ir/bits.h
index 21146b3d1ea..96b36a846e7 100644
--- a/src/ir/bits.h
+++ b/src/ir/bits.h
@@ -17,10 +17,11 @@
 #ifndef wasm_ir_bits_h
 #define wasm_ir_bits_h
 
+#include "ir/boolean.h"
 #include "ir/literal-utils.h"
+#include "ir/load-utils.h"
 #include "support/bits.h"
 #include "wasm-builder.h"
-#include <ir/load-utils.h>
 
 namespace wasm::Bits {
 
@@ -125,6 +126,9 @@ struct DummyLocalInfoProvider {
 template<typename LocalInfoProvider = DummyLocalInfoProvider>
 Index getMaxBits(Expression* curr,
                  LocalInfoProvider* localInfoProvider = nullptr) {
+  if (Properties::emitsBoolean(curr)) {
+    return 1;
+  }
   if (auto* c = curr->dynCast<Const>()) {
     switch (curr->type.getBasic()) {
       case Type::i32:
@@ -363,7 +367,7 @@ Index getMaxBits(Expression* curr,
       case LeFloat64:
       case GtFloat64:
       case GeFloat64:
-        return 1;
+        WASM_UNREACHABLE("relationals handled before");
       default: {
       }
     }
@@ -379,7 +383,7 @@ Index getMaxBits(Expression* curr,
         return 7;
       case EqZInt32:
       case EqZInt64:
-        return 1;
+        WASM_UNREACHABLE("relationals handled before");
       case WrapInt64:
       case ExtendUInt32:
         return std::min(Index(32), getMaxBits(unary->value, localInfoProvider));
diff --git a/src/ir/boolean.h b/src/ir/boolean.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..58601c2ce4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ir/boolean.h
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2022 WebAssembly Community Group participants
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#ifndef wasm_ir_boolean_h
+#define wasm_ir_boolean_h
+
+#include "wasm.h"
+
+namespace wasm::Properties {
+
+inline bool emitsBoolean(Expression* curr) {
+  if (auto* unary = curr->dynCast<Unary>()) {
+    return unary->isRelational();
+  } else if (auto* binary = curr->dynCast<Binary>()) {
+    return binary->isRelational();
+  } else if (curr->is<RefIs>() || curr->is<RefEq>() || curr->is<RefTest>() ||
+             curr->is<StringEq>()) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+} // namespace wasm::Properties
+
+#endif // wasm_ir_boolean_h
diff --git a/src/ir/properties.h b/src/ir/properties.h
index 4f7fb96ca75..3278d9e4128 100644
--- a/src/ir/properties.h
+++ b/src/ir/properties.h
@@ -24,15 +24,6 @@
 
 namespace wasm::Properties {
 
-inline bool emitsBoolean(Expression* curr) {
-  if (auto* unary = curr->dynCast<Unary>()) {
-    return unary->isRelational();
-  } else if (auto* binary = curr->dynCast<Binary>()) {
-    return binary->isRelational();
-  }
-  return false;
-}
-
 inline bool isSymmetric(Binary* binary) {
   switch (binary->op) {
     case AddInt32:
diff --git a/src/passes/OptimizeInstructions.cpp b/src/passes/OptimizeInstructions.cpp
index a88e2a87fa8..5f18beb73be 100644
--- a/src/passes/OptimizeInstructions.cpp
+++ b/src/passes/OptimizeInstructions.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include <ir/abstract.h>
 #include <ir/bits.h>
+#include <ir/boolean.h>
 #include <ir/cost.h>
 #include <ir/drop.h>
 #include <ir/effects.h>
diff --git a/test/lit/passes/optimize-instructions-gc.wast b/test/lit/passes/optimize-instructions-gc.wast
index 2c6498ec3f9..643aad5edaa 100644
--- a/test/lit/passes/optimize-instructions-gc.wast
+++ b/test/lit/passes/optimize-instructions-gc.wast
@@ -2876,4 +2876,70 @@
       )
     )
   )
+
+  ;; CHECK:      (func $ref-boolean (param $x eqref) (param $y eqref)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (ref.eq
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (local.get $y)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (ref.is_func
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   (ref.test_static $A
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:   )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT:  )
+  ;; CHECK-NEXT: )
+  ;; NOMNL:      (func $ref-boolean (type $eqref_eqref_=>_none) (param $x eqref) (param $y eqref)
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   (ref.eq
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:    (local.get $y)
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   (ref.is_func
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  (drop
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   (ref.test_static $A
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:    (local.get $x)
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:   )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT:  )
+  ;; NOMNL-NEXT: )
+  (func $ref-boolean (param $x eqref) (param $y eqref)
+    ;; ref.eq returns a boolean, so &1 on it is not needed.
+    (drop
+      (i32.and
+        (ref.eq
+          (local.get $x)
+          (local.get $y)
+        )
+        (i32.const 1)
+      )
+    )
+    ;; likewise ref.is and ref.test
+    (drop
+      (i32.and
+        (ref.is_func
+          (local.get $x)
+        )
+        (i32.const 1)
+      )
+    )
+    (drop
+      (i32.and
+        (ref.test_static $A
+          (local.get $x)
+        )
+        (i32.const 1)
+      )
+    )
+  )
 )