diff --git a/src/ion/data_structures.rs b/src/ion/data_structures.rs
index 848ab2a3..208be91d 100644
--- a/src/ion/data_structures.rs
+++ b/src/ion/data_structures.rs
@@ -179,13 +179,13 @@ impl LiveRange {
 pub struct Use {
     pub operand: Operand,
     pub pos: ProgPoint,
-    pub slot: u8,
+    pub slot: u16,
     pub weight: u16,
 }
 
 impl Use {
     #[inline(always)]
-    pub fn new(operand: Operand, pos: ProgPoint, slot: u8) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(operand: Operand, pos: ProgPoint, slot: u16) -> Self {
         Self {
             operand,
             pos,
@@ -315,8 +315,8 @@ pub struct PRegData {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct MultiFixedRegFixup {
     pub pos: ProgPoint,
-    pub from_slot: u8,
-    pub to_slot: u8,
+    pub from_slot: u16,
+    pub to_slot: u16,
     pub level: FixedRegFixupLevel,
     pub to_preg: PRegIndex,
     pub vreg: VRegIndex,
diff --git a/src/ion/liveranges.rs b/src/ion/liveranges.rs
index c518262b..55818280 100644
--- a/src/ion/liveranges.rs
+++ b/src/ion/liveranges.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use crate::{
     Allocation, Block, Function, Inst, InstPosition, Operand, OperandConstraint, OperandKind,
     OperandPos, PReg, ProgPoint, RegAllocError, VReg, VecExt,
 };
+use core::convert::TryFrom;
 use smallvec::{smallvec, SmallVec};
 
 /// A spill weight computed for a certain Use.
@@ -94,6 +95,10 @@ impl core::ops::Add<SpillWeight> for SpillWeight {
     }
 }
 
+fn slot_idx(i: usize) -> Result<u16, RegAllocError> {
+    u16::try_from(i).map_err(|_| RegAllocError::TooManyOperands)
+}
+
 impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
     pub fn create_pregs_and_vregs(&mut self) {
         // Create PRegs from the env.
@@ -362,7 +367,7 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub fn build_liveranges(&mut self) {
+    pub fn build_liveranges(&mut self) -> Result<(), RegAllocError> {
         // Create Uses and Defs referring to VRegs, and place the Uses
         // in LiveRanges.
         //
@@ -533,8 +538,8 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
                                     let pos = ProgPoint::before(inst);
                                     self.multi_fixed_reg_fixups.push(MultiFixedRegFixup {
                                         pos,
-                                        from_slot: i as u8,
-                                        to_slot: i as u8,
+                                        from_slot: slot_idx(i)?,
+                                        to_slot: slot_idx(i)?,
                                         to_preg: PRegIndex::new(preg.index()),
                                         vreg: VRegIndex::new(operand.vreg().vreg()),
                                         level: FixedRegFixupLevel::Initial,
@@ -638,7 +643,10 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
                                     live.set(operand.vreg().vreg(), true);
                                 }
                                 // Create the use in the LiveRange.
-                                self.insert_use_into_liverange(lr, Use::new(operand, pos, i as u8));
+                                self.insert_use_into_liverange(
+                                    lr,
+                                    Use::new(operand, pos, slot_idx(i)?),
+                                );
                                 // If def (not mod), this reg is now dead,
                                 // scanning backward; make it so.
                                 if operand.kind() == OperandKind::Def {
@@ -681,7 +689,10 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
 
                                 trace!("Use of {:?} at {:?} -> {:?}", operand, pos, lr,);
 
-                                self.insert_use_into_liverange(lr, Use::new(operand, pos, i as u8));
+                                self.insert_use_into_liverange(
+                                    lr,
+                                    Use::new(operand, pos, slot_idx(i)?),
+                                );
 
                                 // Add to live-set.
                                 live.set(operand.vreg().vreg(), true);
@@ -756,6 +767,8 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
         self.output.stats.blockparam_outs_count = self.blockparam_outs.len();
         self.ctx.scratch_vreg_ranges = vreg_ranges;
         self.ctx.scratch_operand_rewrites = operand_rewrites;
+
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     pub fn fixup_multi_fixed_vregs(&mut self) {
diff --git a/src/ion/mod.rs b/src/ion/mod.rs
index 51751d5e..99181191 100644
--- a/src/ion/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ion/mod.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ impl<'a, F: Function> Env<'a, F> {
     pub(crate) fn init(&mut self) -> Result<(), RegAllocError> {
         self.create_pregs_and_vregs();
         self.compute_liveness()?;
-        self.build_liveranges();
+        self.build_liveranges()?;
         self.fixup_multi_fixed_vregs();
         self.merge_vreg_bundles();
         self.queue_bundles();
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f3bc744e..a672583f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1577,6 +1577,9 @@ pub enum RegAllocError {
     /// Too many pinned VRegs + Reg-constrained Operands are live at
     /// once, making allocation impossible.
     TooManyLiveRegs,
+    /// Too many operands on a single instruction (beyond limit of
+    /// 2^16 - 1).
+    TooManyOperands,
 }
 
 impl core::fmt::Display for RegAllocError {