diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index 2bb0e323c0..7ae4bb67b9 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -3218,12 +3218,16 @@ void HasFieldExpr::ExprDescribe(ODesc* d) const
 		d->Add(field);
 	}
 
+
 RecordConstructorExpr::RecordConstructorExpr(ListExprPtr constructor_list)
-	: Expr(EXPR_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR), op(std::move(constructor_list))
+	: Expr(EXPR_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR)
 	{
 	if ( IsError() )
 		return;
 
+	map = std::nullopt;
+	op = std::move(constructor_list);
+
 	// Spin through the list, which should be comprised only of
 	// record-field-assign expressions, and build up a
 	// record type to associate with this constructor.
@@ -3248,8 +3252,46 @@ RecordConstructorExpr::RecordConstructorExpr(ListExprPtr constructor_list)
 	SetType(make_intrusive<RecordType>(record_types));
 	}
 
-RecordConstructorExpr::~RecordConstructorExpr()
+RecordConstructorExpr::RecordConstructorExpr(RecordTypePtr known_rt,
+                                             ListExprPtr constructor_list)
+: Expr(EXPR_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR)
 	{
+	if ( IsError() )
+		return;
+
+	SetType(known_rt);
+	op = std::move(constructor_list);
+
+	const auto& exprs = op->AsListExpr()->Exprs();
+	map = std::vector<int>(exprs.length());
+
+	int i = 0;
+	for ( const auto& e : exprs )
+		{
+		if ( e->Tag() != EXPR_FIELD_ASSIGN )
+			{
+			Error("bad type in record constructor", e);
+			SetError();
+			continue;
+			}
+
+		auto field = e->AsFieldAssignExpr();
+		int index = known_rt->FieldOffset(field->FieldName());
+
+		if ( index < 0 )
+			{
+			Error("no such field in record", e);
+			SetError();
+			continue;
+			}
+
+		auto known_ft = known_rt->GetFieldType(index);
+
+		if ( ! field->PromoteTo(known_ft) )
+			SetError();
+
+		(*map)[i++] = index;
+		}
 	}
 
 ValPtr RecordConstructorExpr::InitVal(const zeek::Type* t, ValPtr aggr) const
@@ -3289,13 +3331,16 @@ ValPtr RecordConstructorExpr::Eval(Frame* f) const
 	const auto& exprs = op->Exprs();
 	auto rt = cast_intrusive<RecordType>(type);
 
-	if ( exprs.length() != rt->NumFields() )
+	if ( ! map && exprs.length() != rt->NumFields() )
 		RuntimeErrorWithCallStack("inconsistency evaluating record constructor");
 
 	auto rv = make_intrusive<RecordVal>(std::move(rt));
 
 	for ( int i = 0; i < exprs.length(); ++i )
-		rv->Assign(i, exprs[i]->Eval(f));
+		{
+		int ind = map ? (*map)[i] : i;
+		rv->Assign(ind, exprs[i]->Eval(f));
+		}
 
 	return rv;
 	}
@@ -3697,6 +3742,12 @@ FieldAssignExpr::FieldAssignExpr(const char* arg_field_name, ExprPtr value)
 	SetType(op->GetType());
 	}
 
+bool FieldAssignExpr::PromoteTo(TypePtr t)
+	{
+	op = check_and_promote_expr(op.get(), t.get());
+	return op != nullptr;
+	}
+
 void FieldAssignExpr::EvalIntoAggregate(const zeek::Type* t, Val* aggr, Frame* f)
 	const
 	{
diff --git a/src/Expr.h b/src/Expr.h
index 91a0cc3750..13e31a4d75 100644
--- a/src/Expr.h
+++ b/src/Expr.h
@@ -1062,9 +1062,13 @@ protected:
 class RecordConstructorExpr final : public Expr {
 public:
 	explicit RecordConstructorExpr(ListExprPtr constructor_list);
-	~RecordConstructorExpr() override;
 
-	ListExpr* Op() const	{ return op.get(); }
+        // This form is used to construct records of a known (ultimate) type.
+	explicit RecordConstructorExpr(RecordTypePtr known_rt,
+	                               ListExprPtr constructor_list);
+
+	ListExprPtr Op() const    { return op; }
+	const auto& Map() const	{ return map; }
 
 	ValPtr Eval(Frame* f) const override;
 
@@ -1085,6 +1089,7 @@ protected:
 	void ExprDescribe(ODesc* d) const override;
 
 	ListExprPtr op;
+	std::optional<std::vector<int>> map;
 };
 
 class TableConstructorExpr final : public UnaryExpr {
@@ -1165,6 +1170,14 @@ public:
 
 	const char* FieldName() const	{ return field_name.c_str(); }
 
+	// When these are first constructed, we don't know the type.
+	// The following method coerces/promotes the assignment expression
+	// as needed, once we do know the type.
+	//
+	// Returns true on success, false if the types were incompatible
+	// (in which case an error is reported).
+	bool PromoteTo(TypePtr t);
+
 	void EvalIntoAggregate(const zeek::Type* t, Val* aggr, Frame* f) const override;
 	bool IsRecordElement(TypeDecl* td) const override;
 
diff --git a/src/parse.y b/src/parse.y
index bea4b90066..7ce977d2d4 100644
--- a/src/parse.y
+++ b/src/parse.y
@@ -683,10 +683,8 @@ expr:
 				switch ( ctor_type->Tag() ) {
 				case TYPE_RECORD:
 					{
-					auto rce = make_intrusive<RecordConstructorExpr>(
-						ListExprPtr{AdoptRef{}, $4});
 					auto rt = cast_intrusive<RecordType>(ctor_type);
-					$$ = new RecordCoerceExpr(std::move(rce), std::move(rt));
+					$$ = new RecordConstructorExpr(rt, ListExprPtr{AdoptRef{}, $4});
 					}
 					break;
 
diff --git a/src/script_opt/Expr.cc b/src/script_opt/Expr.cc
index e8524e93fe..8a30d4478e 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/Expr.cc
@@ -1827,7 +1827,14 @@ ExprPtr HasFieldExpr::Duplicate()
 ExprPtr RecordConstructorExpr::Duplicate()
 	{
 	auto op_l = op->Duplicate()->AsListExprPtr();
-	return SetSucc(new RecordConstructorExpr(op_l));
+
+	if ( map )
+		{
+		auto rt = cast_intrusive<RecordType>(type);
+		return SetSucc(new RecordConstructorExpr(rt, op_l));
+		}
+	else
+		return SetSucc(new RecordConstructorExpr(op_l));
 	}
 
 bool RecordConstructorExpr::HasReducedOps(Reducer* c) const
diff --git a/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc b/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
index e42d21856d..a2f7000652 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ TraversalCode RD_Decorate::PreExpr(const Expr* e)
 		{
 		auto r = static_cast<const RecordConstructorExpr*>(e);
 		auto l = r->Op();
-		mgr.SetPreFromPre(l, e);
+		mgr.SetPreFromPre(l.get(), e);
 		break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/script_opt/UseDefs.cc b/src/script_opt/UseDefs.cc
index c26ad73f09..a30b8cca3b 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/UseDefs.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/UseDefs.cc
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ UDs UseDefs::ExprUDs(const Expr* e)
 	case EXPR_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR:
 		{
 		auto r = static_cast<const RecordConstructorExpr*>(e);
-		AddInExprUDs(uds, r->Op());
+		AddInExprUDs(uds, r->Op().get());
 		break;
 		}