diff --git a/dhall/src/Dhall/TypeCheck.hs b/dhall/src/Dhall/TypeCheck.hs
index c92f2d577..2df0fa159 100644
--- a/dhall/src/Dhall/TypeCheck.hs
+++ b/dhall/src/Dhall/TypeCheck.hs
@@ -791,12 +791,12 @@ typeWithA tpa = loop
                     Just t' -> return t'
                     Nothing -> Left (TypeError ctx e (MissingField x t))
             Const Type -> do
-                case r of
-                  (Note _ (Union kts)) ->
+                case Dhall.Core.normalize r of
+                  Union kts ->
                     case Dhall.Map.lookup x kts of
                         Just t' -> return (Pi x t' (Union kts))
                         Nothing -> Left (TypeError ctx e (MissingField x t))
-                  _ -> Left (TypeError ctx e (CantAccess text r t))
+                  r' -> Left (TypeError ctx e (CantAccess text r' t))
             _ -> do
                 Left (TypeError ctx e (CantAccess text r t))
     loop ctx e@(Project r xs    ) = do
@@ -3309,7 +3309,7 @@ prettyTypeMessage (CantAccess lazyText0 expr0 expr1) = ErrorMessages {..}
         \                                                                                \n\
         \" <> txt0 <> "\n\
         \                                                                                \n\
-        \... on the following expression which is not a record nor a union:              \n\
+        \... on the following expression which is not a record nor a union type:         \n\
         \                                                                                \n\
         \" <> txt1 <> "\n\
         \                                                                                \n\
diff --git a/dhall/tests/TypeCheck.hs b/dhall/tests/TypeCheck.hs
index 2525093f1..90920f0c6 100644
--- a/dhall/tests/TypeCheck.hs
+++ b/dhall/tests/TypeCheck.hs
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ typecheckTests =
         , shouldNotTypeCheck
             "Hurkens' paradox"
             "failure/hurkensParadox"
+        , should
+            "allow accessing a constructor from a type stored inside a record"
+            "success/simple/mixedFieldAccess"
         ]
 
 preludeExamples :: TestTree
diff --git a/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessA.dhall b/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessA.dhall
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..209f68b8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessA.dhall
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+-- Verify that users can use `.` to both access a record field and a union
+-- constructor within the same expression.  This is a common idiom if a user
+-- provides a types package.
+
+let Scope = < Public : {} | Private : {} >
+let types = { Scope = Scope }
+in types.Scope.Public {=}
diff --git a/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessB.dhall b/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessB.dhall
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa9c0223d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dhall/tests/typecheck/success/simple/mixedFieldAccessB.dhall
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+< Private : {} | Public : {} >