diff --git a/lib/check.ml b/lib/check.ml
index 6ca2fdd4..52ffac86 100644
--- a/lib/check.ml
+++ b/lib/check.ml
@@ -354,9 +354,9 @@ type env = {
   mutable guard_next : bool;
 }
 
-(* The struct table [box] reads a struct's fields from when it describes one
-   for a view: [box] is called from places that hold no [ctx], and there is
-   one table per program. Set by [new_env]. *)
+(* The struct table [box] describes a struct from when it was handed no
+   [ctx]: the newest program's, set by [new_env]. Every caller that has a
+   [ctx] passes it, so its own program's table is the one read. *)
 let view_structs : (string, Tast.structure) Hashtbl.t ref = ref (Hashtbl.create 1)
 
 (* The global whose initialiser is being checked, and its form. A view taken
@@ -3640,7 +3640,7 @@ let no_dyn_yet loc ~into t extra =
    nobody has decided. A str is read as a copy and never written, since a
    dyn text is a collector pointer and typed storage is never scanned; a
    [const] slice is refused because a dyn view can be written through. *)
-let rec view_desc (t : Types.t) : (string, Types.t) result =
+let rec view_desc structs (t : Types.t) : (string, Types.t) result =
   let ( let* ) = Result.bind in
   match t with
   | Types.Int k ->
@@ -3652,19 +3652,19 @@ let rec view_desc (t : Types.t) : (string, Types.t) result =
   | Types.Bool -> Ok "?"
   | Types.String -> Ok "t"
   | Types.Array (n, e) ->
-    let* d = view_desc e in
+    let* d = view_desc structs e in
     Ok (Printf.sprintf "a%Ld;%s" n d)
-  | Types.Slice (Types.Mut, e) -> let* d = view_desc e in Ok ("s" ^ d)
-  | Types.Vec e -> let* d = view_desc e in Ok ("v" ^ d)
+  | Types.Slice (Types.Mut, e) -> let* d = view_desc structs e in Ok ("s" ^ d)
+  | Types.Vec e -> let* d = view_desc structs e in Ok ("v" ^ d)
   | Types.Named n ->
-    (match Hashtbl.find_opt !view_structs n with
+    (match Hashtbl.find_opt structs n with
      | None -> Error t
      | Some st ->
        let* fs =
          List.fold_left
            (fun acc (fl : Tast.field) ->
               let* acc = acc in
-              let* d = view_desc fl.Tast.fty in
+              let* d = view_desc structs fl.Tast.fty in
               Ok ((fl.Tast.fname ^ ";" ^ d) :: acc))
            (Ok []) st.Tast.fields
        in
@@ -4049,6 +4049,9 @@ let refuse_frame_escapes (f : Tast.fn) =
 
 let box ?ctx loc (e : Tast.expr) : Tast.expr =
   let dyn sym args = rt loc Types.Dyn sym args in
+  let structs =
+    match ctx with Some c -> c.env.structs | None -> !view_structs
+  in
   match e.Tast.ty with
   | Types.Dyn -> e
   | Types.Int _ -> dyn "flan_dyn_from_i64" [ widen loc dyn_i64 e ]
@@ -4085,10 +4088,10 @@ let box ?ctx loc (e : Tast.expr) : Tast.expr =
      says whether the storage is this frame's, for the runtime's dev check. *)
   | Types.Vec _ | Types.Array _ | Types.Named _ | Types.Slice (Types.Mut, _)
     when (match e.Tast.ty with
-          | Types.Named n -> Hashtbl.mem !view_structs n
+          | Types.Named n -> Hashtbl.mem structs n
           | _ -> true) ->
     let desc_of t =
-      match view_desc t with
+      match view_desc structs t with
       | Ok d -> mk loc Types.String (Tast.Str d)
       | Error inner -> view_not_yet loc e inner
     in
@@ -4325,7 +4328,7 @@ let box_option ctx loc (t : Types.t) (got : Tast.expr) : Tast.expr =
        run time and the conversion is free on both backends. *)
     match got.Tast.e with
     | Tast.None_ -> rt loc Types.Dyn "flan_dyn_nil" []
-    | Tast.Some_ x -> if Types.equal t Types.Dyn then x else box loc x
+    | Tast.Some_ x -> if Types.equal t Types.Dyn then x else box ~ctx loc x
     | _ ->
       let s = fresh_slot ctx (Types.Option t) in
       let sv = mk loc (Types.Option t) (Tast.Local s) in
@@ -4336,7 +4339,7 @@ let box_option ctx loc (t : Types.t) (got : Tast.expr) : Tast.expr =
                       [ tag; mk loc (Types.Int Types.I8) (Tast.Int (0L, Types.I8)) ]))
       in
       let payload = mk loc t (Tast.Field (sv, 1)) in
-      let some_dyn = if Types.equal t Types.Dyn then payload else box loc payload in
+      let some_dyn = if Types.equal t Types.Dyn then payload else box ~ctx loc payload in
       let none_dyn = rt loc Types.Dyn "flan_dyn_nil" [] in
       mk loc Types.Dyn
         (Tast.Let ([ (s, got) ],
diff --git a/runtime/flan_dyn.c b/runtime/flan_dyn.c
index 0e7823d8..5c69d5fb 100644
--- a/runtime/flan_dyn.c
+++ b/runtime/flan_dyn.c
@@ -3127,7 +3127,8 @@ int32_t  flan_dev_frame_alive(const void *frame, uint64_t serial);
 int32_t  flan_dev_reg_claim(const void *p, uintptr_t *base, int64_t *seq,
                             const char **type, int64_t *typelen);
 int32_t  flan_dev_reg_alive(uintptr_t base, int64_t seq);
-extern void *flan_frame_head;
+struct flan_frame;
+extern struct flan_frame *flan_frame_head;   /* runtime/flan_dev.c */
 
 #define VIEW_FLAT   0   /* [base] is the first element, [o->len] the count */
 #define VIEW_VEC    1   /* [base] is a Vec's header, read live */