diff --git a/mypyc/lower/registry.py b/mypyc/lower/registry.py
index 3feedfc385ee..a20990fe39ae 100644
--- a/mypyc/lower/registry.py
+++ b/mypyc/lower/registry.py
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Callable, Final
+from typing import Callable, Final, Optional, TypeVar
 
 from mypyc.ir.ops import Value
 from mypyc.irbuild.ll_builder import LowLevelIRBuilder
 
 LowerFunc = Callable[[LowLevelIRBuilder, list[Value], int], Value]
+LowerFuncOpt = Callable[[LowLevelIRBuilder, list[Value], int], Optional[Value]]
 
+lowering_registry: Final[dict[str, LowerFuncOpt]] = {}
 
-lowering_registry: Final[dict[str, LowerFunc]] = {}
+LF = TypeVar("LF", LowerFunc, LowerFuncOpt)
 
 
-def lower_primitive_op(name: str) -> Callable[[LowerFunc], LowerFunc]:
+def lower_primitive_op(name: str) -> Callable[[LF], LF]:
     """Register a handler that generates low-level IR for a primitive op."""
 
-    def wrapper(f: LowerFunc) -> LowerFunc:
+    def wrapper(f: LF) -> LF:
         assert name not in lowering_registry
         lowering_registry[name] = f
         return f
diff --git a/mypyc/transform/ir_transform.py b/mypyc/transform/ir_transform.py
index a631bd7352b5..326a5baca1e7 100644
--- a/mypyc/transform/ir_transform.py
+++ b/mypyc/transform/ir_transform.py
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ def visit_unreachable(self, op: Unreachable) -> None:
         self.add(op)
 
     def visit_assign(self, op: Assign) -> Value | None:
+        if op.src in self.op_map and self.op_map[op.src] is None:
+            # Special case: allow removing register initialization assignments
+            return None
         return self.add(op)
 
     def visit_assign_multi(self, op: AssignMulti) -> Value | None:
diff --git a/mypyc/transform/lower.py b/mypyc/transform/lower.py
index b717657095f9..f5768242aff1 100644
--- a/mypyc/transform/lower.py
+++ b/mypyc/transform/lower.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 package.
 """
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 from mypyc.ir.func_ir import FuncIR
 from mypyc.ir.ops import PrimitiveOp, Value
 from mypyc.irbuild.ll_builder import LowLevelIRBuilder
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ def lower_ir(ir: FuncIR, options: CompilerOptions) -> None:
 
 
 class LoweringVisitor(IRTransform):
-    def visit_primitive_op(self, op: PrimitiveOp) -> Value:
+    def visit_primitive_op(self, op: PrimitiveOp) -> Value | None:
         # The lowering implementation functions of various primitive ops are stored
         # in a registry, which is populated using function decorators. The name
         # of op (such as "int_eq") is used as the key.