diff --git a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/backend/Fir2IrVisitor.kt b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/backend/Fir2IrVisitor.kt
index 8e1954f1af5..15ab6a243d8 100644
--- a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/backend/Fir2IrVisitor.kt
+++ b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/backend/Fir2IrVisitor.kt
@@ -1092,8 +1092,12 @@ class Fir2IrVisitor(
                 if (whenExpression.branches.isEmpty()) {
                     return@convertWithOffsets IrBlockImpl(startOffset, endOffset, irBuiltIns.unitType, origin)
                 }
+                val whenExpressionType =
+                    if (whenExpression.isProperlyExhaustive && whenExpression.branches.none {
+                            it.condition is FirElseIfTrueCondition && it.result.statements.isEmpty()
+                        }) whenExpression.typeRef else session.builtinTypes.unitType
                 val irBranches = whenExpression.branches.mapTo(mutableListOf()) { branch ->
-                    branch.toIrWhenBranch(whenExpression.typeRef)
+                    branch.toIrWhenBranch(whenExpressionType)
                 }
                 if (whenExpression.isProperlyExhaustive && whenExpression.branches.none { it.condition is FirElseIfTrueCondition }) {
                     val irResult = IrCallImpl(
@@ -1106,14 +1110,7 @@ class Fir2IrVisitor(
                         IrConstImpl.boolean(startOffset, endOffset, irBuiltIns.booleanType, true), irResult
                     )
                 }
-                generateWhen(
-                    startOffset, endOffset, origin,
-                    subjectVariable, irBranches,
-                    if (whenExpression.isProperlyExhaustive && whenExpression.branches.none {
-                            it.condition is FirElseIfTrueCondition && it.result.statements.isEmpty()
-                        }
-                    ) whenExpression.typeRef.toIrType() else irBuiltIns.unitType
-                )
+                generateWhen(startOffset, endOffset, origin, subjectVariable, irBranches, whenExpressionType.toIrType())
             }
         }.also {
             whenExpression.accept(implicitCastInserter, it)
diff --git a/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.ir.txt b/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.ir.txt
index 8f6ca19d70e..62e53d91b88 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.ir.txt
+++ b/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.ir.txt
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ FILE fqName:<root> fileName:/ifElseIf.kt
       WHEN type=kotlin.Unit origin=IF
         BRANCH
           if: GET_VAR 'flag: kotlin.Boolean declared in <root>.testEmptyBranches2' type=kotlin.Boolean origin=null
-          then: CONST Boolean type=kotlin.Boolean value=true
+          then: TYPE_OP type=kotlin.Unit origin=IMPLICIT_COERCION_TO_UNIT typeOperand=kotlin.Unit
+            CONST Boolean type=kotlin.Boolean value=true
         BRANCH
           if: CONST Boolean type=kotlin.Boolean value=true
           then: BLOCK type=kotlin.Unit origin=null
diff --git a/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.kt.txt b/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.kt.txt
index 4298ff4dd63..3f9258d223a 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.kt.txt
+++ b/compiler/testData/ir/irText/expressions/ifElseIf.fir.kt.txt
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ fun testEmptyBranches2(flag: Boolean) {
     else -> true
   } /*~> Unit */
   when {
-    flag -> true
+    flag -> true /*~> Unit */
     else -> { // BLOCK
     }
   }
@@ -37,3 +37,4 @@ fun testEmptyBranches3(flag: Boolean) {
     else -> true
   } /*~> Unit */
 }
+