diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-om/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/om/typecomputer/impl/FieldAccessNestedResultType.java b/asterixdb/asterix-om/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/om/typecomputer/impl/FieldAccessNestedResultType.java
index 2f3965d..04f23d4 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-om/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/om/typecomputer/impl/FieldAccessNestedResultType.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-om/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/om/typecomputer/impl/FieldAccessNestedResultType.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.om.base.AString;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.base.IAObject;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.constants.AsterixConstantValue;
-import org.apache.asterix.om.exceptions.TypeMismatchException;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.typecomputer.base.AbstractResultTypeComputer;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.types.AOrderedListType;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.types.ARecordType;
@@ -37,8 +36,6 @@
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.base.LogicalExpressionTag;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.expressions.AbstractFunctionCallExpression;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.expressions.ConstantExpression;
-import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.functions.FunctionIdentifier;
-import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.SourceLocation;
 
 public class FieldAccessNestedResultType extends AbstractResultTypeComputer {
     public static final FieldAccessNestedResultType INSTANCE = new FieldAccessNestedResultType();
@@ -47,34 +44,6 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected void checkArgType(FunctionIdentifier funcId, int argIndex, IAType type, SourceLocation sourceLoc)
-            throws AlgebricksException {
-        ATypeTag actualTypeTag = type.getTypeTag();
-        if (argIndex == 0 && actualTypeTag != ATypeTag.OBJECT) {
-            throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, actualTypeTag, ATypeTag.OBJECT);
-        }
-        if (argIndex == 1) {
-            switch (actualTypeTag) {
-                case STRING:
-                    break;
-                case ARRAY:
-                    checkOrderedList(type, sourceLoc);
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, actualTypeTag, ATypeTag.STRING, ATypeTag.ARRAY);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    private void checkOrderedList(IAType type, SourceLocation sourceLoc) throws AlgebricksException {
-        AOrderedListType listType = (AOrderedListType) type;
-        ATypeTag itemTypeTag = listType.getItemType().getTypeTag();
-        if (itemTypeTag != ATypeTag.STRING && itemTypeTag != ATypeTag.ANY) {
-            throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, itemTypeTag, ATypeTag.STRING, ATypeTag.ANY);
-        }
-    }
-
-    @Override
     protected IAType getResultType(ILogicalExpression expr, IAType... strippedInputTypes) throws AlgebricksException {
         IAType firstArgType = strippedInputTypes[0];
         if (firstArgType.getTypeTag() != ATypeTag.OBJECT) {
@@ -88,12 +57,15 @@
         ConstantExpression ce = (ConstantExpression) arg1;
         IAObject v = ((AsterixConstantValue) ce.getValue()).getObject();
         List<String> fieldPath = new ArrayList<>();
-        if (v.getType().getTypeTag() == ATypeTag.ARRAY) {
+        ATypeTag tag = v.getType().getTypeTag();
+        if (tag == ATypeTag.ARRAY && ((AOrderedListType) v.getType()).getItemType().getTypeTag() == ATypeTag.STRING) {
             for (int i = 0; i < ((AOrderedList) v).size(); i++) {
                 fieldPath.add(((AString) ((AOrderedList) v).getItem(i)).getStringValue());
             }
-        } else {
+        } else if (tag == ATypeTag.STRING) {
             fieldPath.add(((AString) v).getStringValue());
+        } else {
+            return BuiltinType.ANY;
         }
         ARecordType recType = (ARecordType) firstArgType;
         IAType fieldType = recType.getSubFieldType(fieldPath);
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedDescriptor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedDescriptor.java
index 3871fa2..27be285 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedDescriptor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedDescriptor.java
@@ -63,6 +63,6 @@
 
     @Override
     public IScalarEvaluatorFactory createEvaluatorFactory(IScalarEvaluatorFactory[] args) {
-        return new FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory(args[0], recType, fldName, sourceLoc);
+        return new FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory(args[0], recType, fldName, sourceLoc, getIdentifier());
     }
 }
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory.java
index ef958f1..30f3fde 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.om.base.AMissing;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.base.ANull;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.base.AString;
+import org.apache.asterix.om.exceptions.ExceptionUtil;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.types.ARecordType;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.types.ATypeTag;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.types.AUnionType;
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.om.utils.NonTaggedFormatUtil;
 import org.apache.asterix.om.utils.RecordUtil;
 import org.apache.asterix.runtime.evaluators.functions.PointableHelper;
-import org.apache.asterix.runtime.exceptions.TypeMismatchException;
+import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.functions.FunctionIdentifier;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.runtime.base.IEvaluatorContext;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.runtime.base.IScalarEvaluator;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.runtime.base.IScalarEvaluatorFactory;
@@ -62,13 +63,15 @@
     private final ARecordType recordType;
     private final List<String> fieldPath;
     private final SourceLocation sourceLoc;
+    private final FunctionIdentifier funID;
 
     public FieldAccessNestedEvalFactory(IScalarEvaluatorFactory recordEvalFactory, ARecordType recordType,
-            List<String> fldName, SourceLocation sourceLoc) {
+            List<String> fldName, SourceLocation sourceLoc, FunctionIdentifier funID) {
         this.recordEvalFactory = recordEvalFactory;
         this.recordType = recordType;
         this.fieldPath = fldName;
         this.sourceLoc = sourceLoc;
+        this.funID = funID;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@
                     BinaryHashFunctionFactoryProvider.UTF8STRING_POINTABLE_INSTANCE.createBinaryHashFunction();
             private final IBinaryComparator fieldNameComparator =
                     BinaryComparatorFactoryProvider.UTF8STRING_POINTABLE_INSTANCE.createBinaryComparator();
-            private ArrayBackedValueStorage resultStorage = new ArrayBackedValueStorage();
+            private final ArrayBackedValueStorage resultStorage = new ArrayBackedValueStorage();
             private final DataOutput out = resultStorage.getDataOutput();
             private final ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream subRecordTmpStream = new ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream();
 
@@ -125,13 +128,14 @@
                     }
 
                     byte[] serRecord = inputArg0.getByteArray();
-                    int offset = inputArg0.getStartOffset();
-                    int start = offset;
+                    int start = inputArg0.getStartOffset();
                     int len = inputArg0.getLength();
 
                     if (serRecord[start] != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG) {
-                        throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, serRecord[start],
-                                ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG);
+                        ExceptionUtil.warnTypeMismatch(ctx, sourceLoc, funID, serRecord[start], 0, ATypeTag.OBJECT);
+                        missingSerde.serialize(AMissing.MISSING, out);
+                        result.set(resultStorage);
+                        return;
                     }
 
                     int subFieldIndex = -1;
@@ -143,7 +147,6 @@
                     recTypeInfos[0].reset(recordType);
 
                     ATypeTag subTypeTag = ATypeTag.MISSING;
-                    boolean openField = false;
                     int pathIndex = 0;
 
                     // Moving through closed fields first.
@@ -153,12 +156,13 @@
                             subType = ((AUnionType) subType).getActualType();
                             byte serializedTypeTag = subType.getTypeTag().serialize();
                             if (serializedTypeTag != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG) {
-                                throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, serializedTypeTag,
-                                        ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG);
+                                ExceptionUtil.warnTypeMismatch(ctx, sourceLoc, funID, serializedTypeTag, 0,
+                                        ATypeTag.OBJECT);
+                                missingSerde.serialize(AMissing.MISSING, out);
+                                result.set(resultStorage);
+                                return;
                             }
-                            if (subType.getTypeTag() == ATypeTag.OBJECT) {
-                                recTypeInfos[pathIndex].reset((ARecordType) subType);
-                            }
+                            recTypeInfos[pathIndex].reset((ARecordType) subType);
                         }
                         subFieldIndex = recTypeInfos[pathIndex].getFieldIndex(fieldPointables[pathIndex].getByteArray(),
                                 fieldPointables[pathIndex].getStartOffset() + 1,
@@ -209,12 +213,15 @@
                         // type check
                         if (pathIndex < fieldPointables.length - 1
                                 && serRecord[start] != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG) {
-                            throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, serRecord[start],
-                                    ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG);
+                            ExceptionUtil.warnTypeMismatch(ctx, sourceLoc, funID, serRecord[start], 0, ATypeTag.OBJECT);
+                            missingSerde.serialize(AMissing.MISSING, out);
+                            result.set(resultStorage);
+                            return;
                         }
                     }
 
                     // Moving through open fields after we hit the first open field.
+                    boolean openField = false;
                     for (; pathIndex < fieldPointables.length; pathIndex++) {
                         openField = true;
                         subFieldOffset = ARecordSerializerDeserializer.getFieldOffsetByName(serRecord, start, len,
@@ -245,8 +252,10 @@
                             return;
                         }
                         if (serRecord[start] != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG) {
-                            throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, serRecord[start],
-                                    ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG);
+                            ExceptionUtil.warnTypeMismatch(ctx, sourceLoc, funID, serRecord[start], 0, ATypeTag.OBJECT);
+                            missingSerde.serialize(AMissing.MISSING, out);
+                            result.set(resultStorage);
+                            return;
                         }
                     }
                     // emit the final result.
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/GetRecordFieldValueEvalFactory.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/GetRecordFieldValueEvalFactory.java
index d6c0e21..f8dacfa 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/GetRecordFieldValueEvalFactory.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/records/GetRecordFieldValueEvalFactory.java
@@ -98,11 +98,14 @@
                     byte[] serFldName = inputArg1.getByteArray();
                     int serFldNameOffset = inputArg1.getStartOffset();
                     int serFldNameLen = inputArg1.getLength();
+                    if (serFldName[serFldNameOffset] != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_STRING_TYPE_TAG) {
+                        throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, BuiltinFunctions.GET_RECORD_FIELD_VALUE, 0,
+                                serFldName[serFldNameOffset], ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_STRING_TYPE_TAG);
+                    }
 
                     byte[] serRecord = inputArg0.getByteArray();
                     int serRecordOffset = inputArg0.getStartOffset();
                     int serRecordLen = inputArg0.getLength();
-
                     if (serRecord[serRecordOffset] != ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG) {
                         throw new TypeMismatchException(sourceLoc, BuiltinFunctions.GET_RECORD_FIELD_VALUE, 0,
                                 serRecord[serRecordOffset], ATypeTag.SERIALIZED_RECORD_TYPE_TAG);
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/functions/FunctionTypeInferers.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/functions/FunctionTypeInferers.java
index ebb0717..2af4de5 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/functions/FunctionTypeInferers.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/functions/FunctionTypeInferers.java
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
         public void infer(ILogicalExpression expr, IFunctionDescriptor fd, IVariableTypeEnvironment context,
                 CompilerProperties compilerProps) throws AlgebricksException {
             AbstractFunctionCallExpression fce = (AbstractFunctionCallExpression) expr;
-            IAType t = (IAType) context.getType(fce.getArguments().get(0).getValue());
+            // arg 1 should always be a constant array of strings
             AOrderedList fieldPath =
                     (AOrderedList) (((AsterixConstantValue) ((ConstantExpression) fce.getArguments().get(1).getValue())
                             .getValue()).getObject());
@@ -171,17 +171,13 @@
             for (int i = 0; i < fieldPath.size(); i++) {
                 listFieldPath.add(((AString) fieldPath.getItem(i)).getStringValue());
             }
-
-            // TODO(ali): I guess this may not work as well if t happens to be UNION(record), not sure if it ever does
+            IAType t = TypeComputeUtils.getActualType((IAType) context.getType(fce.getArguments().get(0).getValue()));
             switch (t.getTypeTag()) {
                 case OBJECT:
                     fd.setImmutableStates(t, listFieldPath);
                     break;
-                case ANY:
-                    fd.setImmutableStates(RecordUtil.FULLY_OPEN_RECORD_TYPE, listFieldPath);
-                    break;
                 default:
-                    fd.setImmutableStates(null, listFieldPath);
+                    fd.setImmutableStates(RecordUtil.FULLY_OPEN_RECORD_TYPE, listFieldPath);
                     break;
             }
         }