diff --git a/src/library/compiler/vm_compiler.cpp b/src/library/compiler/vm_compiler.cpp
index b4bd8a891b..9119abda81 100644
--- a/src/library/compiler/vm_compiler.cpp
+++ b/src/library/compiler/vm_compiler.cpp
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ class vm_compiler_fn {
         } else if (is_constant(fn)) {
             if (is_neutral_expr(fn)) {
                 emit(mk_sconstructor_instr(0));
+            } else if (is_unreachable_expr(fn)) {
+                emit(mk_unreachable_instr());
             } else if (optional<vm_decl> decl = get_vm_decl(m_env, const_name(fn))) {
                 compile_global(*decl, args.size(), args.data(), bpz, m);
             } else {
diff --git a/tests/lean/macro1.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/macro1.lean.expected.out
index 09606ab61c..e48c71b5b6 100644
--- a/tests/lean/macro1.lean.expected.out
+++ b/tests/lean/macro1.lean.expected.out
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-macro1.lean:8:4: warning: failed to generate bytecode for 'lambda_macro'
-code generation failed, VM does not have code for '_unreachable_'
-macro1.lean:23:4: warning: failed to generate bytecode for 'ref_macro'
-code generation failed, VM does not have code for '_unreachable_'
 (0: node lambda (1: ident x) (2: node ref (3: ident x)))
 ((0: node lambda (1: ident x) (2: node ref (3: ident x))), ⟨3 ← ((inl 1), x)⟩)
 (0: node lambda (1: ident x) (5: node lambda (6: ident x from 0) (2: node ref (3: ident x))))