diff --git a/ast/compile.go b/ast/compile.go
index 8768c05cb3..81f4082b1f 100644
--- a/ast/compile.go
+++ b/ast/compile.go
@@ -2465,11 +2465,19 @@ func outputVarsForTerms(expr *Expr, safe VarSet) VarSet {
 		case *SetComprehension, *ArrayComprehension, *ObjectComprehension:
 			return true
 		case Ref:
-			if safe.Contains(r[0].Value.(Var)) {
-				output.Update(r.OutputVars())
-				return false
+			if v, ok := r[0].Value.(Var); ok {
+				if !safe.Contains(v) {
+					return true
+				}
+			} else {
+				for k := range r[0].Vars() {
+					if !safe.Contains(k) {
+						return true
+					}
+				}
 			}
-			return true
+			output.Update(r.OutputVars())
+			return false
 		}
 		return false
 	})
diff --git a/ast/compile_test.go b/ast/compile_test.go
index a9df875b96..dbd36e6fbf 100644
--- a/ast/compile_test.go
+++ b/ast/compile_test.go
@@ -178,6 +178,21 @@ func TestOutputVarsForNode(t *testing.T) {
 			query: "x = 1; y = x; z = y",
 			exp:   "{x, y, z}",
 		},
+		{
+			note:  "composite head",
+			query: "{1, 2}[1] = x",
+			exp:   `{x}`,
+		},
+		{
+			note:  "composite head",
+			query: "x = 1; {x, 2}[1] = y",
+			exp:   `{x, y}`,
+		},
+		{
+			note:  "composite head",
+			query: "{x, 2}[1] = y",
+			exp:   `set()`,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {
diff --git a/ast/unify.go b/ast/unify.go
index 6207c1cec1..7a87ea75df 100644
--- a/ast/unify.go
+++ b/ast/unify.go
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ func (u *unifier) isSafe(x Var) bool {
 	return u.safe.Contains(x) || u.unified.Contains(x)
 }
 
+func (u *unifier) isHeadSafe(r Ref) bool {
+	if v, ok := r[0].Value.(Var); ok {
+		return u.isSafe(v)
+	}
+	for v := range r[0].Vars() {
+		if !u.isSafe(v) {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 
 	switch a := a.Value.(type) {
@@ -45,7 +57,7 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 		case *Array, Object:
 			u.unifyAll(a, b)
 		case Ref:
-			if u.isSafe(b[0].Value.(Var)) {
+			if u.isHeadSafe(b) {
 				u.markSafe(a)
 			}
 		default:
@@ -53,7 +65,7 @@ func (u *unifier) unify(a *Term, b *Term) {
 		}
 
 	case Ref:
-		if u.isSafe(a[0].Value.(Var)) {
+		if u.isHeadSafe(a) {
 			switch b := b.Value.(type) {
 			case Var:
 				u.markSafe(b)