diff --git a/src/swarm-lang/Swarm/Language/Typecheck.hs b/src/swarm-lang/Swarm/Language/Typecheck.hs
index df33e1b1a..2f2784fbd 100644
--- a/src/swarm-lang/Swarm/Language/Typecheck.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-lang/Swarm/Language/Typecheck.hs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ import Data.Set qualified as S
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import Data.Text qualified as T
 import Prettyprinter
-import Swarm.Effect.Unify (Unification, UnificationError, (=:=))
+import Swarm.Effect.Unify (Unification, UnificationError)
 import Swarm.Effect.Unify qualified as U
 import Swarm.Effect.Unify.Fast qualified as U
 import Swarm.Language.Context hiding (lookup)
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ unify ::
   TypeJoin ->
   m UType
 unify ms j = do
-  res <- expected =:= actual
+  res <- expected U.=:= actual
   case res of
     Left _ -> do
       j' <- traverse U.applyBindings j
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ check s@(CSyntax l t cs) expected = addLocToTypeErr l $ case t of
     traverse_ (adaptToTypeErr l KindErr . checkKind) mxTy
     case toU mxTy of
       Just xTy -> do
-        res <- argTy =:= xTy
+        res <- argTy U.=:= xTy
         case res of
           -- Generate a special error when the explicit type annotation
           -- on a lambda doesn't match the expected type,
@@ -1179,8 +1179,8 @@ check s@(CSyntax l t cs) expected = addLocToTypeErr l $ case t of
         xTy <- fresh
         t1' <- withBinding (lvVar x) (Forall [] xTy) $ infer t1
         let uty = t1' ^. sType
-        _ <- xTy =:= uty
-        upty <- generalize uty
+        uty' <- unify (Just t1) (joined xTy uty)
+        upty <- generalize uty'
         return ([], upty, t1')
       -- An explicit polytype annotation has been provided. Skolemize it and check
       -- definition and body under an extended context.
diff --git a/test/unit/TestLanguagePipeline.hs b/test/unit/TestLanguagePipeline.hs
index 1bb61d388..6eb772614 100644
--- a/test/unit/TestLanguagePipeline.hs
+++ b/test/unit/TestLanguagePipeline.hs
@@ -556,6 +556,12 @@ testLanguagePipeline =
                 "(\\f. f 3) 2"
                 "1:11: Type mismatch:\n  From context, expected `2` to have a type like `Int -> _`"
             )
+        , testCase
+            "inferring type of bad recursive function - #2186"
+            ( process
+                "def bad = \\acc.\\n. if (n <= 0) {fst acc} {bad (fst acc + 1) (n - 1)} end"
+                "1:1: Type mismatch:\n  From context, expected `\\acc. \\n. if (n <= 0) {fst acc} {\n    bad (fst acc + 1) (n - 1)\n  }` to have type `Int -> Int -> Int`,\n  but it actually has a type like `(Int * _) -> Int -> Int`"
+            )
         ]
     , testGroup
         "generalize top-level binds #351 #1501"