diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index 91461c14635..a57c87345fc 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -15730,17 +15730,13 @@ namespace ts {
             function reportRelationError(message: DiagnosticMessage | undefined, source: Type, target: Type) {
                 if (incompatibleStack.length) reportIncompatibleStack();
                 const [sourceType, targetType] = getTypeNamesForErrorDisplay(source, target);
-                let generalizedSource: Type;
-                let generalizedSourceType: string;
+                let generalizedSource = source;
+                let generalizedSourceType = sourceType;
 
                 if (isLiteralType(source) && !typeCouldHaveTopLevelSingletonTypes(target)) {
                     generalizedSource = getBaseTypeOfLiteralType(source);
                     generalizedSourceType = getTypeNameForErrorDisplay(generalizedSource);
                 }
-                else {
-                    generalizedSource = source;
-                    generalizedSourceType = sourceType;
-                }
 
                 if (target.flags & TypeFlags.TypeParameter) {
                     const constraint = getBaseConstraintOfType(target);