diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d6d7330d..cd5cfb3f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ LDFLAGS?=-rdynamic
 RUN:=$(RUN)
 
 COMMON_CFLAGS:=-std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -Isrc/include -Isrc/conf -fvisibility=hidden -fPIC
-BOOT_CFLAGS:=-DJANET_BOOTSTRAP -DJANET_BUILD=$(JANET_BUILD) -O0 $(COMMON_CFLAGS)
+BOOT_CFLAGS:=-DJANET_BOOTSTRAP -DJANET_BUILD=$(JANET_BUILD) -O0 $(COMMON_CFLAGS) -g
 BUILD_CFLAGS:=$(CFLAGS) $(COMMON_CFLAGS)
 
 # For installation
diff --git a/src/core/bytecode.c b/src/core/bytecode.c
index 31faa5bf..122d050f 100644
--- a/src/core/bytecode.c
+++ b/src/core/bytecode.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <janet.h>
 #include "gc.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "regalloc.h"
 #endif
 
 /* Look up table for instructions */
@@ -106,6 +107,288 @@ enum JanetInstructionType janet_instructions[JOP_INSTRUCTION_COUNT] = {
     JINT_SSS /* JOP_CANCEL, */
 };
 
+/* Remove all noops while preserving jumps and debugging information.
+ * Useful as part of a filtering compiler pass. */
+void janet_bytecode_remove_noops(JanetFuncDef *def) {
+
+    /* Get an instruction rewrite map so we can rewrite jumps */
+    uint32_t *pc_map = janet_smalloc(sizeof(uint32_t) * (1 + def->bytecode_length));
+    uint32_t new_bytecode_length = 0;
+    for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->bytecode_length; i++) {
+        uint32_t instr = def->bytecode[i];
+        uint32_t opcode = instr & 0x7F;
+        pc_map[i] = new_bytecode_length;
+        if (opcode != JOP_NOOP) {
+            new_bytecode_length++;
+        }
+    }
+    pc_map[def->bytecode_length] = new_bytecode_length;
+
+    /* Linear scan rewrite bytecode and sourcemap. Also fix jumps. */
+    int32_t j = 0;
+    for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->bytecode_length; i++) {
+        uint32_t instr = def->bytecode[i];
+        uint32_t opcode = instr & 0x7F;
+        int32_t old_jump_target = 0;
+        int32_t new_jump_target = 0;
+        switch (opcode) {
+            case JOP_NOOP:
+                continue;
+            case JOP_JUMP:
+                /* relative pc is in DS field of instruction */
+                old_jump_target = i + (((int32_t)instr) >> 8);
+                new_jump_target = pc_map[old_jump_target];
+                instr += (new_jump_target - old_jump_target + (i - j)) << 8;
+                break;
+            case JOP_JUMP_IF:
+            case JOP_JUMP_IF_NIL:
+            case JOP_JUMP_IF_NOT:
+            case JOP_JUMP_IF_NOT_NIL:
+                /* relative pc is in ES field of instruction */
+                old_jump_target = i + (((int32_t)instr) >> 16);
+                new_jump_target = pc_map[old_jump_target];
+                instr += (new_jump_target - old_jump_target + (i - j)) << 16;
+                break;
+            default:
+                break;
+        }
+        def->bytecode[j] = instr;
+        if (def->sourcemap != NULL) {
+            def->sourcemap[j] = def->sourcemap[i];
+        }
+        j++;
+    }
+
+    /* Rewrite symbolmap */
+    for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->symbolmap_length; i++) {
+        JanetSymbolMap *sm = def->symbolmap + i;
+        /* Don't rewrite upvalue mappings */
+        if (sm->birth_pc < UINT32_MAX) {
+            sm->birth_pc = pc_map[sm->birth_pc];
+            sm->death_pc = pc_map[sm->death_pc];
+        }
+    }
+
+    def->bytecode_length = new_bytecode_length;
+    janet_sfree(pc_map);
+}
+
+/* Remove redundant loads, moves and other instructions if possible and convert them to
+ * noops. Input is assumed valid bytecode. */
+void janet_bytecode_movopt(JanetFuncDef *def) {
+    JanetcRegisterAllocator ra;
+    int recur = 1;
+
+    /* Iterate this until no more instructions can be removed. */
+    while (recur) {
+        janetc_regalloc_init(&ra);
+
+        /* Look for slots that have writes but no reads (and aren't in the closure bitset). */
+        if (def->closure_bitset != NULL) {
+            for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->slotcount; i++) {
+                int32_t index = i >> 5;
+                uint32_t mask = 1U << (((uint32_t) i) & 31);
+                if (def->closure_bitset[index] & mask) {
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, i);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+#define AA ((instr >> 8)  & 0xFF)
+#define BB ((instr >> 16) & 0xFF)
+#define CC (instr >> 24)
+#define DD (instr >> 8)
+#define EE (instr >> 16)
+
+        /* Check reads and writes */
+        for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->bytecode_length; i++) {
+            uint32_t instr = def->bytecode[i];
+            switch (instr & 0x7F) {
+
+                /* Group instructions my how they read from slots */
+
+                /* No reads or writes */
+                default:
+                    janet_assert(0, "unhandled instruction");
+                case JOP_JUMP:
+                case JOP_NOOP:
+                case JOP_RETURN_NIL:
+                /* Write A */
+                case JOP_LOAD_INTEGER:
+                case JOP_LOAD_CONSTANT:
+                case JOP_LOAD_UPVALUE:
+                case JOP_CLOSURE:
+                /* Write D */
+                case JOP_LOAD_NIL:
+                case JOP_LOAD_TRUE:
+                case JOP_LOAD_FALSE:
+                case JOP_LOAD_SELF:
+                case JOP_MAKE_ARRAY:
+                case JOP_MAKE_BUFFER:
+                case JOP_MAKE_STRING:
+                case JOP_MAKE_STRUCT:
+                case JOP_MAKE_TABLE:
+                case JOP_MAKE_TUPLE:
+                case JOP_MAKE_BRACKET_TUPLE:
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read A */
+                case JOP_ERROR:
+                case JOP_TYPECHECK:
+                case JOP_JUMP_IF:
+                case JOP_JUMP_IF_NOT:
+                case JOP_JUMP_IF_NIL:
+                case JOP_JUMP_IF_NOT_NIL:
+                case JOP_SET_UPVALUE:
+                /* Write E, Read A */
+                case JOP_MOVE_FAR:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, AA);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read B */
+                case JOP_SIGNAL:
+                /* Write A, Read B */
+                case JOP_ADD_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_MULTIPLY_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_DIVIDE_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_LEFT_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_RIGHT_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_RIGHT_UNSIGNED_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_GREATER_THAN_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_LESS_THAN_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_EQUALS_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_NOT_EQUALS_IMMEDIATE:
+                case JOP_GET_INDEX:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, BB);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read D */
+                case JOP_RETURN:
+                case JOP_PUSH:
+                case JOP_PUSH_ARRAY:
+                case JOP_TAILCALL:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, DD);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Write A, Read E */
+                case JOP_MOVE_NEAR:
+                case JOP_LENGTH:
+                case JOP_BNOT:
+                case JOP_CALL:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, EE);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read A, B */
+                case JOP_PUT_INDEX:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, AA);
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, BB);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read A, E */
+                case JOP_PUSH_2:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, AA);
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, EE);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read B, C */
+                case JOP_PROPAGATE:
+                /* Write A, Read B and C */
+                case JOP_BAND:
+                case JOP_BOR:
+                case JOP_BXOR:
+                case JOP_ADD:
+                case JOP_SUBTRACT:
+                case JOP_MULTIPLY:
+                case JOP_DIVIDE:
+                case JOP_MODULO:
+                case JOP_REMAINDER:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_LEFT:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_RIGHT:
+                case JOP_SHIFT_RIGHT_UNSIGNED:
+                case JOP_GREATER_THAN:
+                case JOP_LESS_THAN:
+                case JOP_EQUALS:
+                case JOP_COMPARE:
+                case JOP_IN:
+                case JOP_GET:
+                case JOP_GREATER_THAN_EQUAL:
+                case JOP_LESS_THAN_EQUAL:
+                case JOP_NOT_EQUALS:
+                case JOP_CANCEL:
+                case JOP_RESUME:
+                case JOP_NEXT:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, BB);
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, CC);
+                    break;
+
+                /* Read A, B, C */
+                case JOP_PUT:
+                case JOP_PUSH_3:
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, AA);
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, BB);
+                    janetc_regalloc_touch(&ra, CC);
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* Iterate and set noops on instructions that make writes that no one ever reads.
+         * Only set noops for instructions with no side effects - moves, loads, etc. that can't
+         * raise errors (outside of systemic errors like oom or stack overflow). */
+        recur = 0;
+        for (int32_t i = 0; i < def->bytecode_length; i++) {
+            uint32_t instr = def->bytecode[i];
+            switch (instr & 0x7F) {
+                default:
+                    break;
+                /* Write D */
+                case JOP_LOAD_NIL:
+                case JOP_LOAD_TRUE:
+                case JOP_LOAD_FALSE:
+                case JOP_LOAD_SELF:
+                case JOP_MAKE_ARRAY:
+                case JOP_MAKE_TUPLE:
+                case JOP_MAKE_BRACKET_TUPLE: {
+                    if (!janetc_regalloc_check(&ra, DD)) {
+                        def->bytecode[i] = JOP_NOOP;
+                        recur = 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                break;
+                /* Write E, Read A */
+                case JOP_MOVE_FAR: {
+                    if (!janetc_regalloc_check(&ra, EE)) {
+                        def->bytecode[i] = JOP_NOOP;
+                        recur = 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                break;
+                /* Write A, Read E */
+                case JOP_MOVE_NEAR:
+                /* Write A, Read B */
+                case JOP_GET_INDEX:
+                /* Write A */
+                case JOP_LOAD_INTEGER:
+                case JOP_LOAD_CONSTANT:
+                case JOP_LOAD_UPVALUE:
+                case JOP_CLOSURE: {
+                    if (!janetc_regalloc_check(&ra, AA)) {
+                        def->bytecode[i] = JOP_NOOP;
+                        recur = 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        janetc_regalloc_deinit(&ra);
+#undef AA
+#undef BB
+#undef CC
+#undef DD
+#undef EE
+    }
+}
+
 /* Verify some bytecode */
 int janet_verify(JanetFuncDef *def) {
     int vargs = !!(def->flags & JANET_FUNCDEF_FLAG_VARARG);
diff --git a/src/core/compile.c b/src/core/compile.c
index 656cdd3d..29a57273 100644
--- a/src/core/compile.c
+++ b/src/core/compile.c
@@ -989,6 +989,10 @@ JanetFuncDef *janetc_pop_funcdef(JanetCompiler *c) {
     /* Pop the scope */
     janetc_popscope(c);
 
+    /* Do basic optimization */
+    janet_bytecode_movopt(def);
+    janet_bytecode_remove_noops(def);
+
     return def;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/compile.h b/src/core/compile.h
index 39dfa8a8..5863c0b8 100644
--- a/src/core/compile.h
+++ b/src/core/compile.h
@@ -267,4 +267,8 @@ JanetSlot janetc_cslot(Janet x);
 /* Search for a symbol */
 JanetSlot janetc_resolve(JanetCompiler *c, const uint8_t *sym);
 
+/* Bytecode optimization */
+void janet_bytecode_movopt(JanetFuncDef *def);
+void janet_bytecode_remove_noops(JanetFuncDef *def);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/regalloc.c b/src/core/regalloc.c
index 1b8b7071..5df2a242 100644
--- a/src/core/regalloc.c
+++ b/src/core/regalloc.c
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #endif
 
+/* The JanetRegisterAllocator is really just a bitset. */
+
 void janetc_regalloc_init(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra) {
     ra->chunks = NULL;
     ra->count = 0;
@@ -139,6 +141,14 @@ void janetc_regalloc_free(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, int32_t reg) {
     ra->chunks[chunk] &= ~ithbit(bit);
 }
 
+/* Check if a register is set. */
+int janetc_regalloc_check(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, int32_t reg) {
+    int32_t chunk = reg >> 5;
+    int32_t bit = reg & 0x1F;
+    while (chunk >= ra->count) pushchunk(ra);
+    return !!(ra->chunks[chunk] & ithbit(bit));
+}
+
 /* Get a register that will fit in 8 bits (< 256). Do not call this
  * twice with the same value of nth without calling janetc_regalloc_free
  * on the returned register before. */
diff --git a/src/core/regalloc.h b/src/core/regalloc.h
index b7521a52..c02e4757 100644
--- a/src/core/regalloc.h
+++ b/src/core/regalloc.h
@@ -56,5 +56,6 @@ int32_t janetc_regalloc_temp(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, JanetcRegisterTemp nth
 void janetc_regalloc_freetemp(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, int32_t reg, JanetcRegisterTemp nth);
 void janetc_regalloc_clone(JanetcRegisterAllocator *dest, JanetcRegisterAllocator *src);
 void janetc_regalloc_touch(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, int32_t reg);
+int janetc_regalloc_check(JanetcRegisterAllocator *ra, int32_t reg);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/specials.c b/src/core/specials.c
index c186245f..30977416 100644
--- a/src/core/specials.c
+++ b/src/core/specials.c
@@ -354,7 +354,17 @@ static int namelocal(JanetCompiler *c, const uint8_t *head, int32_t flags, Janet
     int isUnnamedRegister = !(ret.flags & JANET_SLOT_NAMED) &&
                             ret.index > 0 &&
                             ret.envindex >= 0;
-    if (!isUnnamedRegister) {
+    /* optimization for `(def x my-def)` - don't emit a movn/movf instruction, we can just alias my-def */
+    /* TODO - implement optimization for `(def x my-var)` correctly as well w/ de-aliasing */
+    int canAlias = !(flags & JANET_SLOT_MUTABLE) &&
+                   !(ret.flags & JANET_SLOT_MUTABLE) &&
+                   (ret.flags & JANET_SLOT_NAMED) &&
+                   (ret.index >= 0) &&
+                   (ret.envindex == -1);
+    if (canAlias) {
+        ret.flags &= ~JANET_SLOT_MUTABLE;
+        isUnnamedRegister = 1; /* don't free slot after use - is an alias for another slot */
+    } else if (!isUnnamedRegister) {
         /* Slot is not able to be named */
         JanetSlot localslot = janetc_farslot(c);
         janetc_copy(c, localslot, ret);
diff --git a/test/suite0015.janet b/test/suite0015.janet
index b747389a..bb00a9b6 100644
--- a/test/suite0015.janet
+++ b/test/suite0015.janet
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 (start-suite 15)
 
 (assert (deep= (in (disasm (defn a [] (def x 10) x)) :symbolmap)
-               @[[0 3 0 'a] [1 3 1 'x]])
+               @[[0 2 0 'a] [0 2 1 'x]])
         "symbolslots when *debug* is true")
 
 (defn a [arg]
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@
                                (def y 20)
                                (def z 30)
                                (+ x y z)))) :symbolmap)
-               @[[0 7 0 'arg]
-                 [0 7 1 'a]
-                 [1 7 2 'x]
-                 [2 7 3 'y]
-                 [3 7 4 'z]])
+               @[[0 6 0 'arg]
+                 [0 6 1 'a]
+                 [0 6 2 'x]
+                 [1 6 3 'y]
+                 [2 6 4 'z]])
         "arg & inner symbolslots")
 
 # buffer/push-at
@@ -45,4 +45,6 @@
 (assert (deep= @"abc456789" (buffer/push-at @"abc123" 3 "456789")) "buffer/push-at 2")
 (assert (deep= @"abc423" (buffer/push-at @"abc123" 3 "4")) "buffer/push-at 3")
 
+(assert (= 10 (do (var x 10) (def y x) (++ x) y)) "no invalid aliasing")
+
 (end-suite)