diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
index 33358d898cc..aeddbc9439d 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
@@ -3786,20 +3786,18 @@ class ProgramCompiler extends ComputeOnceConstantVisitor<js_ast.Expression>
             if (recipe == '0') return env;
           } else {
             var environmentTypes = environment.functionTypeParameters;
-            // Create a dummy interface type to "hold" type arguments.
-            env = emitRtiEval(
-              _emitTypeParameter(environmentTypes.first),
-              '@<0>',
-            );
-            // Bind remaining type arguments.
-            for (var i = 1; i < environmentTypes.length; i++) {
-              env = emitRtiBind(env, environmentTypes[i]);
+            // By convention we create a binding environment with "dynamic" as
+            // the base.
+            env = _emitType(const DynamicType());
+            // Bind all type arguments to it.
+            for (var typeParameter in environmentTypes) {
+              env = emitRtiBind(env, typeParameter);
             }
           }
           return emitRtiEval(env, recipe);
         case RtiTypeEnvironment():
-          // RTI type environments are already constructed and attached to the
-          // provided RTI.
+          // RTI type environments take the form of a preconstructed RTI that
+          // is accessible via a known parameter name.
           var env = _rtiParam;
           return emitRtiEval(env, recipe);
         case ClassTypeEnvironment():
diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
index 7c7d24a509d..9303f38e8b2 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
@@ -4357,20 +4357,18 @@ class LibraryCompiler extends ComputeOnceConstantVisitor<js_ast.Expression>
             if (recipe == '0') return env;
           } else {
             var environmentTypes = environment.functionTypeParameters;
-            // Create a dummy interface type to "hold" type arguments.
-            env = emitRtiEval(
-              _emitTypeParameter(environmentTypes.first),
-              '@<0>',
-            );
-            // Bind remaining type arguments.
-            for (var i = 1; i < environmentTypes.length; i++) {
-              env = emitRtiBind(env, environmentTypes[i]);
+            // By convention we create a binding environment with "dynamic" as
+            // the base.
+            env = _emitType(const DynamicType());
+            // Bind all type arguments to it.
+            for (var typeParameter in environmentTypes) {
+              env = emitRtiBind(env, typeParameter);
             }
           }
           return emitRtiEval(env, recipe);
         case RtiTypeEnvironment():
-          // RTI type environments are already constructed and attached to the
-          // provided RTI.
+          // RTI type environments take the form of a preconstructed RTI that
+          // is accessible via a known parameter name.
           var env = _rtiParam;
           return emitRtiEval(env, recipe);
         case ClassTypeEnvironment():
diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/type_environment.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/type_environment.dart
index 2cc3aa76cf8..1525de3b216 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/type_environment.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/type_environment.dart
@@ -244,24 +244,24 @@ class ExtendedTypeEnvironment<T extends ExtendableTypeEnvironment>
     var baseEnvironmentNeeded = requiredParameters.any(
       _baseTypeEnvironment._typeParameters.contains,
     );
-    var additionalParameters = requiredParameters.where(
-      _typeParameters.contains,
-    );
-    if (additionalParameters.isEmpty) {
-      return baseEnvironmentNeeded
-          // Simply using the base environment has a compact representation
-          // and is already constructed.
-          ? _baseTypeEnvironment
+    var additionalParameters = requiredParameters
+        .where(_typeParameters.contains)
+        .toList();
+    if (!baseEnvironmentNeeded) {
+      return additionalParameters.isEmpty
           // No type parameters are needed from this environment.
-          : const EmptyTypeEnvironment();
+          ? const EmptyTypeEnvironment()
+          // A binding environment with a single parameter will be reduced to
+          // just the parameter.
+          : BindingTypeEnvironment(additionalParameters);
     }
+    // Simply using the base environment has a compact representation and at
+    // runtime it has already been constructed.
+    if (additionalParameters.isEmpty) return _baseTypeEnvironment;
     // This is already the exact environment needed.
     if (additionalParameters.length == _typeParameters.length) return this;
     // An extended environment with fewer additional parameters is needed.
-    return ExtendedTypeEnvironment(
-      _baseTypeEnvironment,
-      additionalParameters.toList(),
-    );
+    return ExtendedTypeEnvironment(_baseTypeEnvironment, additionalParameters);
   }
 
   @override