diff --git a/src/ast/nodes/MemberExpression.ts b/src/ast/nodes/MemberExpression.ts
index cb77210c11c..c5401379781 100644
--- a/src/ast/nodes/MemberExpression.ts
+++ b/src/ast/nodes/MemberExpression.ts
@@ -24,12 +24,7 @@ import Identifier from './Identifier';
 import Literal from './Literal';
 import * as NodeType from './NodeType';
 import PrivateIdentifier from './PrivateIdentifier';
-import {
-	ExpressionEntity,
-	LiteralValueOrUnknown,
-	UnknownValue,
-	UNKNOWN_EXPRESSION
-} from './shared/Expression';
+import { ExpressionEntity, LiteralValueOrUnknown, UnknownValue, UNKNOWN_EXPRESSION } from './shared/Expression';
 import { ExpressionNode, IncludeChildren, NodeBase } from './shared/Node';
 import SpreadElement from './SpreadElement';
 import Super from './Super';
@@ -211,12 +206,11 @@ export default class MemberExpression extends NodeBase implements DeoptimizableE
 	}
 
 	hasEffectsWhenAccessedAtPath(path: ObjectPath, context: HasEffectsContext): boolean {
-		if (path.length === 0) return false;
 		if (this.variable !== null) {
 			return this.variable.hasEffectsWhenAccessedAtPath(path, context);
 		}
 		if (this.replacement) {
-			return false;
+			return true;
 		}
 		return this.object.hasEffectsWhenAccessedAtPath([this.getPropertyKey(), ...path], context);
 	}
diff --git a/src/ast/values.ts b/src/ast/values.ts
index 49cb6460626..1edfae57d84 100644
--- a/src/ast/values.ts
+++ b/src/ast/values.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ import { EMPTY_PATH, ObjectPath, ObjectPathKey } from './utils/PathTracker';
 
 export interface MemberDescription {
 	callsArgs: number[] | null;
-	returns: { new (): ExpressionEntity } | null;
-	returnsPrimitive: ExpressionEntity | null;
+	returns: ExpressionEntity;
 }
 
 export interface MemberDescriptions {
@@ -34,8 +33,7 @@ export const UNDEFINED_EXPRESSION: ExpressionEntity = new (class UndefinedExpres
 const returnsUnknown: RawMemberDescription = {
 	value: {
 		callsArgs: null,
-		returns: null,
-		returnsPrimitive: UNKNOWN_EXPRESSION
+		returns: UNKNOWN_EXPRESSION
 	}
 };
 
@@ -66,8 +64,7 @@ export const UNKNOWN_LITERAL_BOOLEAN: ExpressionEntity = new (class UnknownBoole
 const returnsBoolean: RawMemberDescription = {
 	value: {
 		callsArgs: null,
-		returns: null,
-		returnsPrimitive: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_BOOLEAN
+		returns: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_BOOLEAN
 	}
 };
 
@@ -98,8 +95,7 @@ export const UNKNOWN_LITERAL_NUMBER: ExpressionEntity = new (class UnknownNumber
 const returnsNumber: RawMemberDescription = {
 	value: {
 		callsArgs: null,
-		returns: null,
-		returnsPrimitive: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_NUMBER
+		returns: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_NUMBER
 	}
 };
 
@@ -130,8 +126,7 @@ export const UNKNOWN_LITERAL_STRING: ExpressionEntity = new (class UnknownString
 const returnsString: RawMemberDescription = {
 	value: {
 		callsArgs: null,
-		returns: null,
-		returnsPrimitive: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_STRING
+		returns: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_STRING
 	}
 };
 
@@ -181,8 +176,7 @@ const literalStringMembers: MemberDescriptions = assembleMemberDescriptions(
 		replace: {
 			value: {
 				callsArgs: [1],
-				returns: null,
-				returnsPrimitive: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_STRING
+				returns: UNKNOWN_LITERAL_STRING
 			}
 		},
 		search: returnsNumber,
@@ -247,7 +241,5 @@ export function getMemberReturnExpressionWhenCalled(
 	memberName: ObjectPathKey
 ): ExpressionEntity {
 	if (typeof memberName !== 'string' || !members[memberName]) return UNKNOWN_EXPRESSION;
-	return members[memberName].returnsPrimitive !== null
-		? members[memberName].returnsPrimitive!
-		: new members[memberName].returns!();
+	return members[memberName].returns;
 }
diff --git a/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_config.js b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..739a1f55b16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+	description: 'handles interacting with missing namespace members'
+};
diff --git a/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_expected.js b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_expected.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8895a217864
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/_expected.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+if (!undefined) console.log(1);
+if (undefined()) console.log(2);
+const foo = undefined;
+foo.bar;
+(0, undefined)();
diff --git a/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/main.js b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/main.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e37bad3f8ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import * as ns from './other.js';
+
+if (!ns.foo) console.log(1);
+if (ns.foo()) console.log(2);
+const foo = ns.foo;
+foo.bar;
+(true && ns.foo)();
diff --git a/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/other.js b/test/form/samples/namespace-missing-export-effects/other.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d