diff --git a/pkg/encoding/json/manual.go b/pkg/encoding/json/manual.go
index 54368c1f5..688a83dcb 100644
--- a/pkg/encoding/json/manual.go
+++ b/pkg/encoding/json/manual.go
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ func validate(c *adt.OpContext, b []byte, v pkg.Schema) (bool, error) {
 	}
 
 	vx := adt.Unify(c, value.Vertex(v2), value.Vertex(v))
-	x := value.Make(c, vx)
-	if err := x.Err(); err != nil {
+	v = value.Make(c, vx)
+	if err := v.Err(); err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/encoding/json/testdata/gen.txtar b/pkg/encoding/json/testdata/gen.txtar
index 2bcd7173c..e29056b7c 100644
--- a/pkg/encoding/json/testdata/gen.txtar
+++ b/pkg/encoding/json/testdata/gen.txtar
@@ -152,11 +152,7 @@ validate: {
 	}
 }
 issue3932: {
-	f: json.Validate({
-		name!: string
-	}) & json.Marshal({
-		name: "foo"
-	})
+	f: "{\"name\":\"foo\"}"
 }
 valid: {
 	t1: {