diff --git a/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl b/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
index 2a337dd703db8..272131098bd23 100644
--- a/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/ssair/passes.jl
@@ -99,9 +99,22 @@ function compute_value_for_use(ir::IRCode, domtree::DomTree, allblocks::Vector{I
     end
 end
 
-# even when the allocation contains an uninitialized field, we try an extra effort to check
-# if this load at `idx` have any "safe" `setfield!` calls that define the field
 function has_safe_def(
+    ir::IRCode, domtree::DomTree, allblocks::Vector{Int}, du::SSADefUse,
+    newidx::Int, fidx::Int)
+    newexpr = ir[SSAValue(newidx)]::Expr
+
+    fidx + 1 ≤ length(newexpr.args) && return true # assured to have a safe definition for all usages
+
+    # even when the allocation contains an uninitialized field, we try an extra effort to
+    # check if all loads have "safe" `setfield!` calls that define the uninitialized field
+    for use in du.uses
+        has_safe_def_for_uninitialized_field(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, newidx, use) || return false
+    end
+    return true # shuold be safe
+end
+
+function has_safe_def_for_uninitialized_field(
     ir::IRCode, domtree::DomTree, allblocks::Vector{Int}, du::SSADefUse,
     newidx::Int, idx::Int)
     def, _, _ = find_def_for_use(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, idx)
@@ -206,14 +219,15 @@ function simple_walk(compact::IncrementalCompact, @nospecialize(defssa#=::AnySSA
 end
 
 function simple_walk_constraint(compact::IncrementalCompact, @nospecialize(defssa#=::AnySSAValue=#),
-                                @nospecialize(typeconstraint))
-    callback = function (@nospecialize(pi), @nospecialize(idx))
-        if isa(pi, PiNode)
-            typeconstraint = typeintersect(typeconstraint, widenconst(pi.typ))
+                                @nospecialize(typeconstraint), @nospecialize(callback = nothing))
+    newcallback = function (@nospecialize(x), @nospecialize(idx))
+        if isa(x, PiNode)
+            typeconstraint = typeintersect(typeconstraint, widenconst(x.typ))
         end
+        callback === nothing || callback(x, idx)
         return false
     end
-    def = simple_walk(compact, defssa, callback)
+    def = simple_walk(compact, defssa, newcallback)
     return Pair{Any, Any}(def, typeconstraint)
 end
 
@@ -223,7 +237,9 @@ end
 Starting at `val` walk use-def chains to get all the leaves feeding into this `val`
 (pruning those leaves rules out by path conditions).
 """
-function walk_to_defs(compact::IncrementalCompact, @nospecialize(defssa), @nospecialize(typeconstraint))
+function walk_to_defs(compact::IncrementalCompact,
+    @nospecialize(defssa), @nospecialize(typeconstraint),
+    @nospecialize(callback = nothing))
     visited_phinodes = AnySSAValue[]
     isa(defssa, AnySSAValue) || return Any[defssa], visited_phinodes
     def = compact[defssa]
@@ -259,7 +275,7 @@ function walk_to_defs(compact::IncrementalCompact, @nospecialize(defssa), @nospe
                     val = OldSSAValue(val.id)
                 end
                 if isa(val, AnySSAValue)
-                    new_def, new_constraint = simple_walk_constraint(compact, val, typeconstraint)
+                    new_def, new_constraint = simple_walk_constraint(compact, val, typeconstraint, callback)
                     if isa(new_def, AnySSAValue)
                         if !haskey(visited_constraints, new_def)
                             push!(worklist_defs, new_def)
@@ -720,10 +736,10 @@ function sroa_pass!(ir::IRCode, optional_opts::Bool = true)
                         continue
                     end
                     if defuses === nothing
-                        defuses = IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse}}()
+                        defuses = IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse, PhiDefs}}()
                     end
-                    mid, defuse = get!(defuses, defidx) do
-                        SPCSet(), SSADefUse()
+                    mid, defuse, phidefs = get!(defuses, defidx) do
+                        SPCSet(), SSADefUse(), PhiDefs(nothing)
                     end
                     push!(defuse.ccall_preserve_uses, idx)
                     union!(mid, intermediaries)
@@ -778,16 +794,29 @@ function sroa_pass!(ir::IRCode, optional_opts::Bool = true)
                 # Mutable stuff here
                 isa(def, SSAValue) || continue
                 if defuses === nothing
-                    defuses = IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse}}()
+                    defuses = IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse, PhiDefs}}()
                 end
-                mid, defuse = get!(defuses, def.id) do
-                    SPCSet(), SSADefUse()
+                mid, defuse, phidefs = get!(defuses, def.id) do
+                    SPCSet(), SSADefUse(), PhiDefs(nothing)
                 end
                 if is_setfield
                     push!(defuse.defs, idx)
                 else
                     push!(defuse.uses, idx)
                 end
+                defval = compact[def]
+                if isa(defval, PhiNode)
+                    phicallback = function (@nospecialize(x), @nospecialize(ssa))
+                        push!(intermediaries, ssa.id)
+                        return false
+                    end
+                    defs, _ = walk_to_defs(compact, def, struct_typ, phicallback)
+                    if _any(@nospecialize(d)->!isa(d, SSAValue), defs)
+                        delete!(defuses, def.id)
+                        continue
+                    end
+                    phidefs[] = Int[(def::SSAValue).id for def in defs]
+                end
                 union!(mid, intermediaries)
             end
             continue
@@ -847,8 +876,14 @@ function sroa_pass!(ir::IRCode, optional_opts::Bool = true)
     end
 end
 
+# TODO:
+# - run mutable SROA on the same IR as when we collect information about mutable allocations
+# - simplify and improve the eliminability check below using an escape analysis
+
+const PhiDefs = RefValue{Union{Nothing,Vector{Int}}}
+
 function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
-    defuses::IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse}}, used_ssas::Vector{Int},
+    defuses::IdDict{Int, Tuple{SPCSet, SSADefUse, PhiDefs}}, used_ssas::Vector{Int},
     nested_loads::NestedLoads)
     # Compute domtree, needed below, now that we have finished compacting the IR.
     # This needs to be after we iterate through the IR with `IncrementalCompact`
@@ -858,36 +893,58 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
     nested_mloads = NestedLoads() # tracks nested `getfield(getfield(...)::Mutable, ...)::Mutable`
     local any_eliminated = false
     # NOTE eliminate from innermost definitions, so that we can track elimination of nested `getfield`
-    for (idx, (intermediaries, defuse)) in sort!(collect(defuses); by=first, rev=true)
+    for (idx, (intermediaries, defuse, phidefs)) in sort!(collect(defuses); by=first, rev=true)
         intermediaries = collect(intermediaries)
+        phidefs = phidefs[]
         # Check if there are any uses we did not account for. If so, the variable
         # escapes and we cannot eliminate the allocation. This works, because we're guaranteed
         # not to include any intermediaries that have dead uses. As a result, missing uses will only ever
         # show up in the nuses_total count.
-        nleaves = length(defuse.uses) + length(defuse.defs) + length(defuse.ccall_preserve_uses)
+        nleaves = count_leaves(defuse)
+        if phidefs !== nothing
+            # if this defines ϕ, we also track leaves of all predecessors as well
+            # FIXME this doesn't work when any predecessor is used by another ϕ-node
+            for pidx in phidefs
+                haskey(defuses, pidx) || continue
+                pdefuse = defuses[pidx][2]
+                nleaves += count_leaves(pdefuse)
+            end
+        end
         nuses = 0
         for idx in intermediaries
             nuses += used_ssas[idx]
         end
-        nuses_total = used_ssas[idx] + nuses - length(intermediaries)
+        nuses -= length(intermediaries)
+        nuses_total = used_ssas[idx] + nuses
+        if phidefs !== nothing
+            for pidx in phidefs
+                # NOTE we don't need to accout for intermediates for this predecessor here,
+                # since they are already included in intermediates of this ϕ-node
+                # FIXME this doesn't work when any predecessor is used by another ϕ-node
+                nuses_total += used_ssas[pidx] - 1 # substract usage count from ϕ-node itself
+            end
+        end
         nleaves == nuses_total || continue
         # Find the type for this allocation
         defexpr = ir[SSAValue(idx)]
-        isa(defexpr, Expr) || continue
-        if !isexpr(defexpr, :new)
-            if is_known_call(defexpr, getfield, ir)
-                val = defexpr.args[2]
-                if isa(val, SSAValue)
-                    struct_typ = unwrap_unionall(widenconst(argextype(val, ir)))
-                    if ismutabletype(struct_typ)
-                        record_nested_load!(nested_mloads, idx)
-                    end
+        if isa(defexpr, Expr)
+            if !isexpr(defexpr, :new)
+                maybe_record_nested_load!(nested_mloads, ir, idx)
+                continue
+            end
+        elseif isa(defexpr, PhiNode)
+            phidefs === nothing && continue
+            for pidx in phidefs
+                pexpr = ir[SSAValue(pidx)]
+                if !isexpr(pexpr, :new)
+                    maybe_record_nested_load!(nested_mloads, ir, pidx)
+                    @goto skip
                 end
             end
+        else
             continue
         end
-        newidx = idx
-        typ = ir.stmts[newidx][:type]
+        typ = ir.stmts[idx][:type]
         if isa(typ, UnionAll)
             typ = unwrap_unionall(typ)
         end
@@ -899,25 +956,29 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
         fielddefuse = SSADefUse[SSADefUse() for _ = 1:fieldcount(typ)]
         all_forwarded = true
         for use in defuse.uses
-            stmt = ir[SSAValue(use)] # == `getfield` call
-            # We may have discovered above that this use is dead
-            # after the getfield elim of immutables. In that case,
-            # it would have been deleted. That's fine, just ignore
-            # the use in that case.
-            if stmt === nothing
+            eliminable = check_use_eliminability!(fielddefuse, ir, use, typ)
+            if eliminable === nothing
+                # We may have discovered above that this use is dead
+                # after the getfield elim of immutables. In that case,
+                # it would have been deleted. That's fine, just ignore
+                # the use in that case.
                 all_forwarded = false
                 continue
+            elseif !eliminable
+                @goto skip
             end
-            field = try_compute_fieldidx_stmt(ir, stmt::Expr, typ)
-            field === nothing && @goto skip
-            push!(fielddefuse[field].uses, use)
         end
         for def in defuse.defs
-            stmt = ir[SSAValue(def)]::Expr # == `setfield!` call
-            field = try_compute_fieldidx_stmt(ir, stmt, typ)
-            field === nothing && @goto skip
-            isconst(typ, field) && @goto skip # we discovered an attempt to mutate a const field, which must error
-            push!(fielddefuse[field].defs, def)
+            check_def_eliminability!(fielddefuse, ir, def, typ) || @goto skip
+        end
+        if phidefs !== nothing
+            for pidx in phidefs
+                haskey(defuses, pidx) || continue
+                pdefuse = defuses[pidx][2]
+                for pdef in pdefuse.defs
+                    check_def_eliminability!(fielddefuse, ir, pdef, typ) || @goto skip
+                end
+            end
         end
         # Check that the defexpr has defined values for all the fields
         # we're accessing. In the future, we may want to relax this,
@@ -928,15 +989,24 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
         for fidx in 1:ndefuse
             du = fielddefuse[fidx]
             isempty(du.uses) && continue
-            push!(du.defs, newidx)
+            if phidefs === nothing
+                push!(du.defs, idx)
+            else
+                for pidx in phidefs
+                    push!(du.defs, pidx)
+                end
+            end
             ldu = compute_live_ins(ir.cfg, du)
             phiblocks = isempty(ldu.live_in_bbs) ? Int[] : iterated_dominance_frontier(ir.cfg, ldu, domtree)
             allblocks = sort(vcat(phiblocks, ldu.def_bbs))
             blocks[fidx] = phiblocks, allblocks
-            if fidx + 1 > length(defexpr.args)
-                for use in du.uses
-                    has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, newidx, use) || @goto skip
+            if phidefs !== nothing
+                # check if all predecessors have safe definitions
+                for pidx in phidefs
+                    has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, pidx, fidx) || @goto skip
                 end
+            else
+                has_safe_def(ir, domtree, allblocks, du, idx, fidx) || @goto skip
             end
         end
         # Everything accounted for. Go field by field and perform idf
@@ -976,9 +1046,16 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
                     end
                 end
             end
-            for stmt in du.defs
-                stmt == newidx && continue
-                ir[SSAValue(stmt)] = nothing
+            if isa(defexpr, PhiNode)
+                ir[SSAValue(idx)] = nothing
+                for pidx in phidefs::Vector{Int}
+                    used_ssas[pidx] -= 1
+                end
+            else
+                for stmt in du.defs
+                    stmt == idx && continue
+                    ir[SSAValue(stmt)] = nothing
+                end
             end
         end
         preserve_uses === nothing && continue
@@ -986,7 +1063,7 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
             # this means all ccall preserves have been replaced with forwarded loads
             # so we can potentially eliminate the allocation, otherwise we must preserve
             # the whole allocation.
-            push!(intermediaries, newidx)
+            push!(intermediaries, idx)
         end
         # Insert the new preserves
         for (use, new_preserves) in preserve_uses
@@ -1002,6 +1079,42 @@ function sroa_mutables!(ir::IRCode,
     end
 end
 
+count_leaves(defuse::SSADefUse) =
+    length(defuse.uses) + length(defuse.defs) + length(defuse.ccall_preserve_uses)
+
+function maybe_record_nested_load!(nested_mloads::NestedLoads, ir::IRCode, idx::Int)
+    defexpr = ir[SSAValue(idx)]
+    if is_known_call(defexpr, getfield, ir)
+        val = defexpr.args[2]
+        if isa(val, SSAValue)
+            struct_typ = unwrap_unionall(widenconst(argextype(val, ir)))
+            if ismutabletype(struct_typ)
+                record_nested_load!(nested_mloads, idx)
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+function check_use_eliminability!(fielddefuse::Vector{SSADefUse},
+    ir::IRCode, useidx::Int, struct_typ::DataType)
+    stmt = ir[SSAValue(useidx)] # == `getfield` call
+    stmt === nothing && return nothing
+    field = try_compute_fieldidx_stmt(ir, stmt::Expr, struct_typ)
+    field === nothing && return false
+    push!(fielddefuse[field].uses, useidx)
+    return true
+end
+
+function check_def_eliminability!(fielddefuse::Vector{SSADefUse},
+    ir::IRCode, defidx::Int, struct_typ::DataType)
+    stmt = ir[SSAValue(defidx)]::Expr # == `setfield!` call
+    field = try_compute_fieldidx_stmt(ir, stmt, struct_typ)
+    field === nothing && return false
+    isconst(struct_typ, field) && return false # we discovered an attempt to mutate a const field, which must error
+    push!(fielddefuse[field].defs, defidx)
+    return true
+end
+
 function form_new_preserves(origex::Expr, intermediates::Vector{Int}, new_preserves::Vector{Any})
     newex = Expr(:foreigncall)
     nccallargs = length(origex.args[3]::SimpleVector)
diff --git a/test/compiler/irpasses.jl b/test/compiler/irpasses.jl
index 2d1d85e3df97f..5dcad9e6e83f0 100644
--- a/test/compiler/irpasses.jl
+++ b/test/compiler/irpasses.jl
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ let src = code_typed1((Any,Any,Any)) do x, y, z
     end
 end
 # FIXME? in order to handle nested mutable `getfield` calls, we run SROA iteratively until
-# any nested mutable `getfield` calls become no longer eliminatable:
+# any nested mutable `getfield` calls become no longer eliminable:
 # it's probably not the most efficient option and we may want to introduce some sort of
 # alias analysis and eliminates all the loads at once.
 # mutable(immutable(...)) case
@@ -308,6 +308,188 @@ let # NOTE `sroa_mutables!` eliminate from innermost definitions, so that it sho
     @test !any(isnew, src.code)
 end
 
+# ϕ-allocation elimination
+# ------------------------
+mutable struct MutableSome
+    x::Any
+    MutableSome(@nospecialize x) = new(x)
+    MutableSome() = new()
+end
+Base.getindex(s::MutableSome) = s.x
+Base.setindex!(s::MutableSome, @nospecialize x) = s.x = x
+@testset "mutable ϕ-allocation elimination" begin
+    # safe cases
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Bool,Any,Any,Any)) do cond1, cond2, x, y, z
+            if cond1
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            elseif cond2
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(z)
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(5) in x.values &&
+            #=z=# Core.Argument(6) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y, z
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+                ϕ[] = z
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=z=# Core.Argument(5) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any,)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+                out1 = ϕ[]
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+                out1 = ϕ[]
+            end
+            out2 = ϕ[]
+            out1, out2
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values
+        end == 2
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y, z
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+                out1 = ϕ[]
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+                out1 = ϕ[]
+                ϕ[] = z
+            end
+            out2 = ϕ[]
+            out1, out2
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values
+        end == 1
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=z=# Core.Argument(5) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+
+    # unsafe cases
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+            end
+            some_escape(ϕ)
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test count(isnew, src.code) == 2
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+                some_escape(ϕ)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome(y)
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test count(isnew, src.code) == 2
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,)) do cond, x
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome()
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test count(isnew, src.code) == 2
+    end
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ = MutableSome()
+                ϕ[] = y
+            end
+            ϕ[]
+        end
+        @test !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+
+    # FIXME allocation forming multiple ϕ
+    let src = code_typed1((Bool,Any,Any)) do cond, x, y
+            if cond
+                ϕ2 = ϕ1 = MutableSome(x)
+            else
+                ϕ2 = ϕ1 = MutableSome(y)
+            end
+            ϕ1[], ϕ2[]
+        end
+        @test_broken !any(isnew, src.code)
+        @test_broken count(src.code) do @nospecialize x
+            isa(x, Core.PhiNode) &&
+            #=x=# Core.Argument(3) in x.values &&
+            #=y=# Core.Argument(4) in x.values
+        end == 1
+    end
+end
+function mutable_ϕ_elim(x, xs)
+    r = Ref(x)
+    for x in xs
+        r = Ref(x)
+    end
+    return r[]
+end
+let xs = String[string(gensym()) for _ in 1:100]
+    mutable_ϕ_elim("init", xs)
+    @test @allocated(mutable_ϕ_elim("init", xs)) == 0
+end
+
 # should work nicely with inlining to optimize away a complicated case
 # adapted from http://wiki.luajit.org/Allocation-Sinking-Optimization#implementation%5B
 struct Point