diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs b/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
index 3ede60beb74..d85ea961462 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ pub trait CrateStore<'tcx> {
                      -> ty::TypeScheme<'tcx>;
     fn visible_parent_map<'a>(&'a self) -> ::std::cell::RefMut<'a, DefIdMap<DefId>>;
     fn item_name(&self, def: DefId) -> ast::Name;
+    fn opt_item_name(&self, def: DefId) -> Option<ast::Name>;
     fn item_predicates<'a>(&self, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, def: DefId)
                            -> ty::GenericPredicates<'tcx>;
     fn item_super_predicates<'a>(&self, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, def: DefId)
@@ -345,6 +346,7 @@ impl<'tcx> CrateStore<'tcx> for DummyCrateStore {
         bug!("visible_parent_map")
     }
     fn item_name(&self, def: DefId) -> ast::Name { bug!("item_name") }
+    fn opt_item_name(&self, def: DefId) -> Option<ast::Name> { bug!("opt_item_name") }
     fn item_predicates<'a>(&self, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, def: DefId)
                            -> ty::GenericPredicates<'tcx> { bug!("item_predicates") }
     fn item_super_predicates<'a>(&self, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, def: DefId)
diff --git a/src/librustc/mir/repr.rs b/src/librustc/mir/repr.rs
index db4c0c1e9eb..1cd837e4853 100644
--- a/src/librustc/mir/repr.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/mir/repr.rs
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ impl<'tcx> Debug for Rvalue<'tcx> {
                         ppaux::parameterized(fmt, substs, variant_def.did,
                                              ppaux::Ns::Value, &[],
                                              |tcx| {
-                            tcx.lookup_item_type(variant_def.did).generics
+                            Some(tcx.lookup_item_type(variant_def.did).generics)
                         })?;
 
                         match variant_def.kind() {
@@ -1034,8 +1034,9 @@ impl<'tcx> Debug for Literal<'tcx> {
         use self::Literal::*;
         match *self {
             Item { def_id, substs } => {
-                ppaux::parameterized(fmt, substs, def_id, ppaux::Ns::Value, &[],
-                                     |tcx| tcx.lookup_item_type(def_id).generics)
+                ppaux::parameterized(
+                    fmt, substs, def_id, ppaux::Ns::Value, &[],
+                    |tcx| Some(tcx.lookup_item_type(def_id).generics))
             }
             Value { ref value } => {
                 write!(fmt, "const ")?;
diff --git a/src/librustc/ty/item_path.rs b/src/librustc/ty/item_path.rs
index ee9983038b1..74c05feb6d1 100644
--- a/src/librustc/ty/item_path.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/ty/item_path.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use middle::cstore::LOCAL_CRATE;
 use hir::def_id::{DefId, CRATE_DEF_INDEX};
 use ty::{self, Ty, TyCtxt};
 use syntax::ast;
+use syntax::parse::token;
 
 use std::cell::Cell;
 
@@ -138,7 +139,8 @@ impl<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> {
                 }
             }
 
-            cur_path.push(self.sess.cstore.item_name(cur_def));
+            cur_path.push(self.sess.cstore.opt_item_name(cur_def).unwrap_or_else(||
+                token::intern("<unnamed>")));
             match visible_parent_map.get(&cur_def) {
                 Some(&def) => cur_def = def,
                 None => return false,
diff --git a/src/librustc/ty/mod.rs b/src/librustc/ty/mod.rs
index 24f0671ce61..8f42ca2abb9 100644
--- a/src/librustc/ty/mod.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/ty/mod.rs
@@ -2480,6 +2480,18 @@ impl<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> {
             || self.sess.cstore.item_type(self.global_tcx(), did))
     }
 
+    pub fn opt_lookup_item_type(self, did: DefId) -> Option<TypeScheme<'gcx>> {
+        if let Some(scheme) = self.tcache.borrow_mut().get(&did) {
+            return Some(scheme.clone());
+        }
+
+        if did.krate == LOCAL_CRATE {
+            None
+        } else {
+            Some(self.sess.cstore.item_type(self.global_tcx(), did))
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Given the did of a trait, returns its canonical trait ref.
     pub fn lookup_trait_def(self, did: DefId) -> &'gcx TraitDef<'gcx> {
         lookup_locally_or_in_crate_store(
diff --git a/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs b/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
index 1a802064b61..bbee7afce71 100644
--- a/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
@@ -69,15 +69,12 @@ pub enum Ns {
     Value
 }
 
-fn number_of_supplied_defaults<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx, GG>(tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>,
-                                                   substs: &subst::Substs,
-                                                   space: subst::ParamSpace,
-                                                   get_generics: GG)
-                                                   -> usize
-    where GG: FnOnce(TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>) -> ty::Generics<'tcx>
+fn number_of_supplied_defaults<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>(tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>,
+                                               substs: &subst::Substs,
+                                               space: subst::ParamSpace,
+                                               generics: ty::Generics<'tcx>)
+                                               -> usize
 {
-    let generics = get_generics(tcx);
-
     let has_self = substs.self_ty().is_some();
     let ty_params = generics.types.get_slice(space);
     let tps = substs.types.get_slice(space);
@@ -115,7 +112,8 @@ pub fn parameterized<GG>(f: &mut fmt::Formatter,
                          projections: &[ty::ProjectionPredicate],
                          get_generics: GG)
                          -> fmt::Result
-    where GG: for<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> FnOnce(TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>) -> ty::Generics<'tcx>
+    where GG: for<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> FnOnce(TyCtxt<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx>)
+                                         -> Option<ty::Generics<'tcx>>
 {
     if let (Ns::Value, Some(self_ty)) = (ns, substs.self_ty()) {
         write!(f, "<{} as ", self_ty)?;
@@ -176,13 +174,12 @@ pub fn parameterized<GG>(f: &mut fmt::Formatter,
     let num_supplied_defaults = if verbose {
         0
     } else {
-        // It is important to execute this conditionally, only if -Z
-        // verbose is false. Otherwise, debug logs can sometimes cause
-        // ICEs trying to fetch the generics early in the pipeline. This
-        // is kind of a hacky workaround in that -Z verbose is required to
-        // avoid those ICEs.
         ty::tls::with(|tcx| {
-            number_of_supplied_defaults(tcx, substs, subst::TypeSpace, get_generics)
+            if let Some(generics) = get_generics(tcx) {
+                number_of_supplied_defaults(tcx, substs, subst::TypeSpace, generics)
+            } else {
+                0
+            }
         })
     };
 
@@ -310,7 +307,7 @@ impl<'tcx> fmt::Display for TraitAndProjections<'tcx> {
                       trait_ref.def_id,
                       Ns::Type,
                       projection_bounds,
-                      |tcx| tcx.lookup_trait_def(trait_ref.def_id).generics.clone())
+                      |tcx| Some(tcx.lookup_trait_def(trait_ref.def_id).generics.clone()))
     }
 }
 
@@ -811,7 +808,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for ty::Binder<ty::OutlivesPredicate<ty::Region, ty::Region>>
 impl<'tcx> fmt::Display for ty::TraitRef<'tcx> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         parameterized(f, self.substs, self.def_id, Ns::Type, &[],
-                      |tcx| tcx.lookup_trait_def(self.def_id).generics.clone())
+                      |tcx| Some(tcx.lookup_trait_def(self.def_id).generics.clone()))
     }
 }
 
@@ -863,8 +860,9 @@ impl<'tcx> fmt::Display for ty::TypeVariants<'tcx> {
                 }
 
                 write!(f, "{} {{", bare_fn.sig.0)?;
-                parameterized(f, substs, def_id, Ns::Value, &[],
-                              |tcx| tcx.lookup_item_type(def_id).generics)?;
+                parameterized(
+                    f, substs, def_id, Ns::Value, &[],
+                    |tcx| tcx.opt_lookup_item_type(def_id).map(|t| t.generics))?;
                 write!(f, "}}")
             }
             TyFnPtr(ref bare_fn) => {
@@ -887,8 +885,12 @@ impl<'tcx> fmt::Display for ty::TypeVariants<'tcx> {
                           !tcx.tcache.borrow().contains_key(&def.did) {
                         write!(f, "{}<..>", tcx.item_path_str(def.did))
                     } else {
-                        parameterized(f, substs, def.did, Ns::Type, &[],
-                                      |tcx| tcx.lookup_item_type(def.did).generics)
+                        parameterized(
+                            f, substs, def.did, Ns::Type, &[],
+                            |tcx| {
+                                tcx.opt_lookup_item_type(def.did).
+                                    map(|t| t.generics)
+                            })
                     }
                 })
             }
diff --git a/src/librustc_metadata/csearch.rs b/src/librustc_metadata/csearch.rs
index 5d42f8c1d6f..3134a3844bc 100644
--- a/src/librustc_metadata/csearch.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_metadata/csearch.rs
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ impl<'tcx> CrateStore<'tcx> for cstore::CStore {
         decoder::get_item_name(&self.intr, &cdata, def.index)
     }
 
+    fn opt_item_name(&self, def: DefId) -> Option<ast::Name> {
+        self.dep_graph.read(DepNode::MetaData(def));
+        let cdata = self.get_crate_data(def.krate);
+        decoder::maybe_get_item_name(&self.intr, &cdata, def.index)
+    }
 
     fn inherent_implementations_for_type(&self, def_id: DefId) -> Vec<DefId>
     {
diff --git a/src/librustc_metadata/decoder.rs b/src/librustc_metadata/decoder.rs
index d1153fe2d06..d97ecebc476 100644
--- a/src/librustc_metadata/decoder.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_metadata/decoder.rs
@@ -285,12 +285,17 @@ fn item_trait_ref<'a, 'tcx>(doc: rbml::Doc, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, cdata:
 }
 
 fn item_name(intr: &IdentInterner, item: rbml::Doc) -> ast::Name {
-    let name = reader::get_doc(item, tag_paths_data_name);
-    let string = name.as_str_slice();
-    match intr.find(string) {
-        None => token::intern(string),
-        Some(val) => val,
-    }
+    maybe_item_name(intr, item).expect("no item in item_name")
+}
+
+fn maybe_item_name(intr: &IdentInterner, item: rbml::Doc) -> Option<ast::Name> {
+    reader::maybe_get_doc(item, tag_paths_data_name).map(|name| {
+        let string = name.as_str_slice();
+        match intr.find(string) {
+            None => token::intern(string),
+            Some(val) => val,
+        }
+    })
 }
 
 fn family_to_variant_kind<'tcx>(family: Family) -> Option<ty::VariantKind> {
@@ -792,6 +797,11 @@ pub fn get_item_name(intr: &IdentInterner, cdata: Cmd, id: DefIndex) -> ast::Nam
     item_name(intr, cdata.lookup_item(id))
 }
 
+pub fn maybe_get_item_name(intr: &IdentInterner, cdata: Cmd, id: DefIndex)
+                         -> Option<ast::Name> {
+    maybe_item_name(intr, cdata.lookup_item(id))
+}
+
 pub fn maybe_get_item_ast<'a, 'tcx>(cdata: Cmd, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>, id: DefIndex)
                                     -> FoundAst<'tcx> {
     debug!("Looking up item: {:?}", id);
diff --git a/src/librustc_trans/monomorphize.rs b/src/librustc_trans/monomorphize.rs
index c02dd7995f1..cf84dd57d02 100644
--- a/src/librustc_trans/monomorphize.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_trans/monomorphize.rs
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ pub struct Instance<'tcx> {
 impl<'tcx> fmt::Display for Instance<'tcx> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         ppaux::parameterized(f, &self.substs, self.def, ppaux::Ns::Value, &[],
-                             |tcx| tcx.lookup_item_type(self.def).generics)
+                             |tcx| Some(tcx.lookup_item_type(self.def).generics))
     }
 }