diff --git a/ir.c b/ir.c
index 839fba5..1166444 100644
--- a/ir.c
+++ b/ir.c
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ void ir_print_const(const ir_ctx *ctx, const ir_insn *insn, FILE *f)
 #define ir_op_kind_str     IR_OPND_STR
 #define ir_op_kind_num     IR_OPND_NUM
 #define ir_op_kind_fld     IR_OPND_STR
-#define ir_op_kind_var     IR_OPND_VAR
+#define ir_op_kind_var     IR_OPND_DATA
 #define ir_op_kind_prb     IR_OPND_PROB
 #define ir_op_kind_opt     IR_OPND_PROB
 
diff --git a/ir_check.c b/ir_check.c
index 90748e5..cae3387 100644
--- a/ir_check.c
+++ b/ir_check.c
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ bool ir_check(const ir_ctx *ctx)
 					use_insn = &ctx->ir_base[use];
 					switch (IR_OPND_KIND(flags, j)) {
 						case IR_OPND_DATA:
-							if (use_insn->op == IR_VAR
-							 || !(ir_op_flags[use_insn->op] & IR_OP_FLAG_DATA)) {
+							if (!(ir_op_flags[use_insn->op] & IR_OP_FLAG_DATA)) {
 								if (!(ir_op_flags[use_insn->op] & IR_OP_FLAG_MEM)
 								 || use_insn->type == IR_VOID) {
 									fprintf(stderr, "ir_base[%d].ops[%d] reference (%d) must be DATA\n", i, j, use);
@@ -200,16 +199,6 @@ bool ir_check(const ir_ctx *ctx)
 								ok = 0;
 							}
 							break;
-						case IR_OPND_VAR:
-							if (ctx->ir_base[use].op != IR_VAR) {
-								fprintf(stderr, "ir_base[%d].ops[%d] reference (%d) must be VAR\n", i, j, use);
-								ok = 0;
-							}
-							if (use >= i) {
-								fprintf(stderr, "ir_base[%d].ops[%d] invalid forward reference (%d)\n", i, j, use);
-								ok = 0;
-							}
-							break;
 						default:
 							fprintf(stderr, "ir_base[%d].ops[%d] reference (%d) of unsupported kind\n", i, j, use);
 							ok = 0;
diff --git a/ir_dump.c b/ir_dump.c
index 1438fe8..7b653fd 100644
--- a/ir_dump.c
+++ b/ir_dump.c
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ void ir_dump_dot(const ir_ctx *ctx, FILE *f)
 			if (ref) {
 				switch (IR_OPND_KIND(flags, j)) {
 					case IR_OPND_DATA:
-					case IR_OPND_VAR:
 						if (IR_IS_CONST_REF(ref)) {
 							fprintf(f, "\tc%d -> n%d [color=blue,weight=%d];\n", -ref, i, DATA_WEIGHT);
 						} else if (insn->op == IR_PHI
diff --git a/ir_private.h b/ir_private.h
index a5c8f8b..3c3493a 100644
--- a/ir_private.h
+++ b/ir_private.h
@@ -801,10 +801,9 @@ IR_ALWAYS_INLINE bool ir_const_is_true(const ir_insn *v)
 #define IR_OPND_CONTROL           0x2
 #define IR_OPND_CONTROL_DEP       0x3
 #define IR_OPND_CONTROL_REF       0x4
-#define IR_OPND_VAR               0x5
-#define IR_OPND_STR               0x6
-#define IR_OPND_NUM               0x7
-#define IR_OPND_PROB              0x8
+#define IR_OPND_STR               0x5
+#define IR_OPND_NUM               0x6
+#define IR_OPND_PROB              0x7
 
 #define IR_OP_FLAGS(op_flags, op1_flags, op2_flags, op3_flags) \
 	((op_flags) | ((op1_flags) << 20) | ((op2_flags) << 24) | ((op3_flags) << 28))
@@ -818,7 +817,7 @@ IR_ALWAYS_INLINE bool ir_const_is_true(const ir_insn *v)
 	(((flags) >> (16 + (4 * (((i) > 3) ? 3 : (i))))) & 0xf)
 
 #define IR_IS_REF_OPND_KIND(kind) \
-	((kind) >= IR_OPND_DATA && (kind) <= IR_OPND_VAR)
+	((kind) >= IR_OPND_DATA && (kind) <= IR_OPND_CONTROL_REF)
 
 IR_ALWAYS_INLINE ir_ref ir_operands_count(const ir_ctx *ctx, const ir_insn *insn)
 {
diff --git a/ir_save.c b/ir_save.c
index 1df488f..29ed48b 100644
--- a/ir_save.c
+++ b/ir_save.c
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ void ir_save(const ir_ctx *ctx, FILE *f)
 			if (ref) {
 				switch (opnd_kind) {
 					case IR_OPND_DATA:
-					case IR_OPND_VAR:
 						if (IR_IS_CONST_REF(ref)) {
 							fprintf(f, "%sc_%d", first ? "(" : ", ", -ref);
 						} else {
diff --git a/ir_sccp.c b/ir_sccp.c
index 7424710..184d1f2 100644
--- a/ir_sccp.c
+++ b/ir_sccp.c
@@ -737,21 +737,21 @@ int ir_sccp(ir_ctx *ctx)
 						_values[i+j+1].optx = IR_BOTTOM; /* keep the tail of a long multislot instruction */
 					}
 					for (j = 2, p = insn->ops + j; j <= n; j++, p++) {
-						IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, j) == IR_OPND_DATA || IR_OPND_KIND(flags, j) == IR_OPND_VAR);
+						IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, j) == IR_OPND_DATA);
 						use = *p;
 						if (use > 0 && UNEXPECTED(_values[use].optx == IR_TOP)) {
 							ir_bitqueue_add(&worklist, use);
 						}
 					}
 				} else if (n >= 2) {
-					IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 2) == IR_OPND_DATA || IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 2) == IR_OPND_VAR);
+					IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 2) == IR_OPND_DATA);
 					use = insn->op2;
 					if (use > 0 && UNEXPECTED(_values[use].optx == IR_TOP)) {
 						ir_bitqueue_add(&worklist, use);
 					}
 					if (n > 2) {
 						IR_ASSERT(n == 3);
-						IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 3) == IR_OPND_DATA || IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 3) == IR_OPND_VAR);
+						IR_ASSERT(IR_OPND_KIND(flags, 3) == IR_OPND_DATA);
 						use = insn->op3;
 						if (use > 0 && UNEXPECTED(_values[use].optx == IR_TOP)) {
 							ir_bitqueue_add(&worklist, use);