diff --git a/infer/src/checkers/copyPropagation.ml b/infer/src/checkers/copyPropagation.ml
index a57cb3d4a..6b326a2e2 100644
--- a/infer/src/checkers/copyPropagation.ml
+++ b/infer/src/checkers/copyPropagation.ml
@@ -87,9 +87,6 @@ module TransferFunctions = struct
   let postprocess = TransferFunctions.no_postprocessing
 
   let exec_instr astate _ = function
-    | Sil.Letderef (lhs_id, Sil.Var rhs_id, _, _) ->
-        (* note: logical vars are SSA, don't need to worry about overwriting existing bindings *)
-        Domain.gen (LogicalVar lhs_id) (LogicalVar rhs_id) astate
     | Sil.Letderef (lhs_id, Sil.Lvar rhs_pvar, _, _) when not (Pvar.is_global rhs_pvar) ->
         Domain.gen (LogicalVar lhs_id) (ProgramVar rhs_pvar) astate
     | Sil.Set (Sil.Lvar lhs_pvar, _, Sil.Var rhs_id, _) when not (Pvar.is_global lhs_pvar) ->
@@ -97,12 +94,15 @@ module TransferFunctions = struct
     | Sil.Set (Sil.Lvar lhs_pvar, _, Sil.Lvar rhs_pvar, _)
       when not (Pvar.is_global lhs_pvar || Pvar.is_global rhs_pvar)  ->
         Domain.kill_then_gen (ProgramVar lhs_pvar) (ProgramVar rhs_pvar) astate
-    | Sil.Letderef (lhs_id, _, _, _) ->
-        (* non-copy assignment (or assignment to global); can only kill *)
-        Domain.kill_copies_with_var (LogicalVar lhs_id) astate
     | Sil.Set (Sil.Lvar lhs_pvar, _, _, _) ->
         (* non-copy assignment (or assignment to global); can only kill *)
         Domain.kill_copies_with_var (ProgramVar lhs_pvar) astate
+    | Sil.Letderef _
+    (* lhs = *rhs where rhs isn't a pvar (or is a global). in any case, not a copy *)
+    (* note: since logical vars can't be reassigned, don't need to kill bindings for lhs id *)
+    | Sil.Set (Var _, _, _, _) ->
+        (* *lhs = rhs. not a copy, and not a write to lhs *)
+        astate
     | Sil.Call (ret_ids, _, actuals, _, _) ->
         let kill_ret_ids astate_acc id =
           Domain.kill_copies_with_var (LogicalVar id) astate_acc in
@@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ module TransferFunctions = struct
         if !Config.curr_language = Config.Java
         then astate' (* Java doesn't have pass-by-reference *)
         else IList.fold_left kill_actuals_by_ref astate' actuals
-    | Sil.Set (Sil.Var _, _, _, _) ->
-        (* this should never happen *)
-        assert false
     | Sil.Set _ | Sil.Prune _ | Sil.Nullify _ | Sil.Abstract _ | Sil.Remove_temps _
     | Sil.Declare_locals _ | Sil.Stackop _ ->
         (* none of these can assign to program vars or logical vars *)
diff --git a/infer/src/unit/analyzerTester.ml b/infer/src/unit/analyzerTester.ml
index 0e4d2c094..678f69e91 100644
--- a/infer/src/unit/analyzerTester.ml
+++ b/infer/src/unit/analyzerTester.ml
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ module StructuredSil = struct
     let rhs_exp = var_of_str rhs in
     make_letderef ~rhs_typ lhs_id rhs_exp
 
+  let id_set_id ?(rhs_typ=dummy_typ) lhs_id rhs_id =
+    let lhs_exp = Sil.Var (ident_of_str lhs_id) in
+    let rhs_exp = Sil.Var (ident_of_str rhs_id) in
+    make_set ~rhs_typ ~lhs_exp ~rhs_exp
+
   let var_assign_exp ~rhs_typ lhs rhs_exp =
     let lhs_exp = var_of_str lhs in
     make_set ~rhs_typ ~lhs_exp ~rhs_exp
diff --git a/infer/src/unit/copyPropagationTests.ml b/infer/src/unit/copyPropagationTests.ml
index 97aaf10cc..b9e992d55 100644
--- a/infer/src/unit/copyPropagationTests.ml
+++ b/infer/src/unit/copyPropagationTests.ml
@@ -32,10 +32,23 @@ let tests =
       id_assign_id "a" "a";
       assert_empty
     ];
-    "id_assign_id_gen",
+    "id_letderef_id_no_gen",
     [
-      id_assign_id "b" "a";
-      invariant "{ b$0 -> a$0 }"
+      id_assign_id "b" "a"; (* means b = *a *)
+      assert_empty
+    ];
+    "id_set_id_no_gen",
+    [
+      id_set_id "b" "a"; (* means *b = a *)
+      assert_empty
+    ];
+
+    "id_set_id_no_kill",
+    [
+      id_assign_var "b" "a";
+      invariant "{ b$0 -> &a }";
+      id_set_id "b" "x";
+      invariant "{ b$0 -> &a }"
     ];
     "id_assign_var_gen",
     [
diff --git a/infer/src/unit/livenessTests.ml b/infer/src/unit/livenessTests.ml
index 000b44b27..fefaa7e07 100644
--- a/infer/src/unit/livenessTests.ml
+++ b/infer/src/unit/livenessTests.ml
@@ -30,11 +30,6 @@ let tests =
   let unknown_cond =
     (* don't want to use AnalyzerTest.unknown_exp because we'll treat it as a live var! *)
     Sil.exp_zero in
-  let id_set_id lhs_id rhs_id =
-    let lhs_exp = Sil.Var (ident_of_str lhs_id) in
-    let rhs_exp = Sil.Var (ident_of_str rhs_id) in
-    let rhs_typ = dummy_typ in
-    make_set ~rhs_typ ~lhs_exp ~rhs_exp in
   let test_list = [
     "basic_live",
     [