diff --git a/examples/optionals/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.sx b/examples/optionals/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.sx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97c29177
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/optionals/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Struct literal as the default of `??` (null-coalesce).
+// Regression (issue 0166): a bare `.{ ... }` default was lowered with no
+// target type, so its `struct_init.ty` stayed `.unresolved` and panicked at
+// LLVM emission ("unresolved type reached LLVM emission"). The fix threads the
+// optional's child type `T` into the RHS lowering, so the literal resolves to
+// `T`. Covers both runtime paths: default TAKEN (lhs null) and NOT taken (lhs
+// present), plus a nested struct-literal default and an all-defaulted `.{}`.
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+Inner :: struct { x: i64 = 0; }
+T :: struct { a: i64 = 7; b: i64 = 3; inner: Inner; }
+
+mk :: (give: bool) -> ?T {
+    if give { return .{ a = 1, b = 2, inner = .{ x = 4 } }; }
+    return null;
+}
+
+main :: () {
+    // Default NOT taken — lhs has a value.
+    present := mk(true) ?? .{ a = 9, inner = .{ x = 99 } };
+    print("{} {} {}\n", present.a, present.b, present.inner.x);
+
+    // Default TAKEN — lhs is null, struct-literal default selected.
+    absent := mk(false) ?? .{ a = 9, inner = .{ x = 99 } };
+    print("{} {} {}\n", absent.a, absent.b, absent.inner.x);
+
+    // All-defaulted `.{}` default.
+    empty := mk(false) ?? .{};
+    print("{} {} {}\n", empty.a, empty.b, empty.inner.x);
+}
diff --git a/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.exit b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.exit
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..573541ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0
diff --git a/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stderr b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b137891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stdout b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..839d11c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/optionals/expected/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+1 2 4
+9 3 99
+7 3 0
diff --git a/issues/0166-null-coalesce-struct-literal-default-unresolved.md b/issues/0166-null-coalesce-struct-literal-default-unresolved.md
index b6253840..af36aeec 100644
--- a/issues/0166-null-coalesce-struct-literal-default-unresolved.md
+++ b/issues/0166-null-coalesce-struct-literal-default-unresolved.md
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # 0166 — `?? .{ ... }` struct-literal default panics with "unresolved type reached LLVM emission"
 
+> **RESOLVED.** The `??` RHS struct literal was lowered with no target type, so
+> its `struct_init.ty` stayed `.unresolved` and reached `emitStructInit`. Fix:
+> in `src/ir/lower/expr.zig` `lowerNullCoalesce`, save `self.target_type`, set it
+> to `inner_ty` (the optional's resolved child) before lowering `nc.rhs`, and
+> restore afterward (unconditional, leak-free — `lowerExpr` returns a plain
+> `Ref`). Verified across struct/slice/enum/tuple/protocol/nested-optional/
+> generic child types and present/absent branches by 3 adversarial reviews.
+> Regression: `examples/optionals/0912-null-coalesce-struct-literal.sx`.
+> (Adjacent pre-existing bug found + filed: 0172 — `??` on a NON-optional lhs
+> panics; `lowerNullCoalesce` must diagnose it.)
+
 ## Symptom
 
 Using a struct literal as the default of a `??` (null-coalesce) operator panics:
diff --git a/issues/0172-null-coalesce-non-optional-lhs-panics.md b/issues/0172-null-coalesce-non-optional-lhs-panics.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..994f9258
--- /dev/null
+++ b/issues/0172-null-coalesce-non-optional-lhs-panics.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# 0172 — `??` with a non-optional left-hand side panics instead of diagnosing
+
+## Symptom
+
+Using `??` where the left operand is NOT an optional panics the compiler:
+`panic: unresolved type reached LLVM emission` (in `emitStructInit` for a struct
+default, or generally), exit 134. `??` is defined to operate on an optional lhs;
+a non-optional lhs is malformed user input that must be a clean type error, not a
+crash. Pre-existing (reproduces independent of the issue 0166 fix).
+
+## Reproduction
+
+```sx
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+T :: struct { a: i64 = 0; }
+main :: () {
+  x := 5 ?? .{ a = 1 };   // panic: unresolved type reached LLVM emission, exit 134
+}
+```
+
+Also panics: `5 ?? 7` (scalar default), `some_non_optional_struct ?? .{ a = 1 }`,
+and nested `mk() ?? (5 ?? .{ a = 3 })`. Expected: a located diagnostic like
+`error: left operand of '??' must be an optional, but has type 'i64'`, exit 1.
+
+## Investigation prompt
+
+`src/ir/lower/expr.zig` `lowerNullCoalesce`: `resolveOptionalInner` (~expr.zig:1900)
+returns `.unresolved` when `nc.lhs` is not optional, and the function proceeds to
+feed that `.unresolved` into the merge-block params, `optionalUnwrap`, and the
+RHS target type — which then reaches codegen and panics. Add a guard: after
+inferring the lhs type, if it is not an optional (or `resolveOptionalInner`
+yields `.unresolved` for a resolved-but-non-optional lhs), emit
+`self.diagnostics.addFmt(.err, nc.lhs.span, "left operand of '??' must be an
+optional, but has type '{s}'", .{ formatTypeName(lhs_ty) })` and bail (return a
+placeholder), mirroring the non-pointer `.*` deref diagnostic at
+`lowerDerefExpr` (~expr.zig:1839). Be careful to still allow the legitimate
+cases: optional lhs (incl. `a?.b` chains returning optional), and make sure an
+already-`.unresolved` lhs from a PRIOR error (undefined name) doesn't
+double-report (that path already diagnoses via name resolution).
+
+Verify: `5 ?? .{a=1}`, `5 ?? 7`, non-optional-struct `?? ...` all exit 1 with the
+diagnostic and no panic; existing optional `??` cases still work. Add an
+`examples/diagnostics/11xx-null-coalesce-non-optional.sx` negative regression.
diff --git a/src/ir/lower/expr.zig b/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
index 97cc3ebf..5184725e 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
@@ -1871,7 +1871,16 @@ pub fn lowerNullCoalesce(self: *Lowering, nc: *const ast.NullCoalesce) Ref {
 
     // RHS block: evaluate fallback and branch to merge
     self.builder.switchToBlock(rhs_bb);
+    // Thread the optional's child type as the expected/target type so an
+    // untyped struct literal default (`?? .{ ... }`) resolves to `T` rather
+    // than staying `.unresolved` and reaching codegen as a malformed
+    // struct_init (issue 0166). Scalar/pointer/typed defaults are unaffected:
+    // they ignore `target_type` or coerce identically. Restore afterwards so
+    // a `??` nested inside a larger expression doesn't leak this target type.
+    const saved_tt = self.target_type;
+    self.target_type = inner_ty;
     var rhs = self.lowerExpr(nc.rhs);
+    self.target_type = saved_tt;
     const rhs_ty = self.builder.getRefType(rhs);
     if (rhs_ty != inner_ty and rhs_ty != .void and inner_ty != .void) {
         rhs = self.coerceToType(rhs, rhs_ty, inner_ty);