diff --git a/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/PassManager.lean b/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/PassManager.lean
index 0390bbcfad..0e915b5798 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/PassManager.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/PassManager.lean
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def mkPerDeclaration (name : Name) (phase : Phase)
   occurrence := occurrence
   phase := phase
   name := name
-  run := fun xs => xs.mapM run
+  run := fun xs => xs.mapM fun decl => do checkSystem "LCNF compiler"; run decl
 
 end Pass
 
diff --git a/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/Simp/Main.lean b/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/Simp/Main.lean
index 03507d87f3..52d358f5ab 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/Simp/Main.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Compiler/LCNF/Simp/Main.lean
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ Simplify `code`
 -/
 partial def simp (code : Code .pure) : SimpM (Code .pure) := withIncRecDepth do
   incVisited
+  if (← get).visited % 128 == 0 then
+    checkSystem "LCNF simp"
   match code with
   | .let decl k =>
     let baseDecl := decl