diff --git a/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/example_support.rs b/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/example_support.rs
index bb03bbaf8c..72ea36972f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/example_support.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/example_support.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use nu_protocol::{
     ast::Block,
     debugger::WithoutDebug,
     engine::{StateDelta, StateWorkingSet},
-    Range,
+    report_error_new, Range,
 };
 use std::{
     sync::Arc,
@@ -124,7 +124,10 @@ pub fn eval_block(
 
     nu_engine::eval_block::<WithoutDebug>(engine_state, &mut stack, &block, input)
         .and_then(|data| data.into_value(Span::test_data()))
-        .unwrap_or_else(|err| panic!("test eval error in `{}`: {:?}", "TODO", err))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|err| {
+            report_error_new(engine_state, &err);
+            panic!("test eval error in `{}`: {:?}", "TODO", err)
+        })
 }
 
 pub fn check_example_evaluates_to_expected_output(
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/example_test.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/example_test.rs
index 476113aa2d..4879cab0a9 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/example_test.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/example_test.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ mod test_examples {
         check_example_evaluates_to_expected_output,
         check_example_input_and_output_types_match_command_signature,
     };
-    use nu_cmd_lang::{Break, Echo, If, Let, Mut};
+    use nu_cmd_lang::{Break, Describe, Echo, If, Let, Mut};
     use nu_protocol::{
         engine::{Command, EngineState, StateWorkingSet},
         Type,
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ mod test_examples {
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Break));
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Date));
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Default));
+            working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Describe));
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Each));
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Echo));
             working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Enumerate));
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/compile/expression.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/compile/expression.rs
index 52f4ea4643..948eb5c238 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/compile/expression.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/compile/expression.rs
@@ -172,23 +172,22 @@ pub(crate) fn compile_expression(
             }
         }
         Expr::Collect(var_id, expr) => {
-            let in_reg = match in_reg {
-                Some(in_reg) => in_reg,
-                None => {
-                    let reg_id = builder.next_register()?;
-                    builder.load_empty(reg_id)?;
-                    reg_id
-                }
+            let store_reg = if let Some(in_reg) = in_reg {
+                // Collect, clone, store
+                builder.push(Instruction::Collect { src_dst: in_reg }.into_spanned(expr.span))?;
+                builder.clone_reg(in_reg, expr.span)?
+            } else {
+                // Just store nothing in the variable
+                builder.literal(Literal::Nothing.into_spanned(Span::unknown()))?
             };
-            // Implicit collect
             builder.push(
                 Instruction::StoreVariable {
                     var_id: *var_id,
-                    src: in_reg,
+                    src: store_reg,
                 }
                 .into_spanned(expr.span),
             )?;
-            compile_expression(working_set, builder, expr, redirect_modes, None, out_reg)?;
+            compile_expression(working_set, builder, expr, redirect_modes, in_reg, out_reg)?;
             // Clean it up afterward
             builder.push(Instruction::DropVariable { var_id: *var_id }.into_spanned(expr.span))?;
             Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
index a1f7222a1d..84fa700934 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/eval.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ use nu_protocol::{
     debugger::DebugContext,
     engine::{Closure, EngineState, Redirection, Stack, StateWorkingSet},
     eval_base::Eval,
-    ByteStreamSource, Config, FromValue, IntoPipelineData, OutDest, PipelineData, ShellError, Span,
-    Spanned, Type, Value, VarId, ENV_VARIABLE_ID,
+    ByteStreamSource, Config, DataSource, FromValue, IntoPipelineData, OutDest, PipelineData,
+    PipelineMetadata, ShellError, Span, Spanned, Type, Value, VarId, ENV_VARIABLE_ID,
 };
 use nu_utils::IgnoreCaseExt;
 use std::{fs::OpenOptions, path::PathBuf, sync::Arc};
@@ -619,10 +619,28 @@ pub fn eval_collect<D: DebugContext>(
     // Evaluate the expression with the variable set to the collected input
     let span = input.span().unwrap_or(Span::unknown());
 
-    stack.add_var(var_id, input.into_value(span)?);
+    let metadata = match input.metadata() {
+        // Remove the `FilePath` metadata, because after `collect` it's no longer necessary to
+        // check where some input came from.
+        Some(PipelineMetadata {
+            data_source: DataSource::FilePath(_),
+            content_type: None,
+        }) => None,
+        other => other,
+    };
 
-    let result = eval_expression_with_input::<D>(engine_state, stack, expr, PipelineData::empty())
-        .map(|(result, _failed)| result);
+    let input = input.into_value(span)?;
+
+    stack.add_var(var_id, input.clone());
+
+    let result = eval_expression_with_input::<D>(
+        engine_state,
+        stack,
+        expr,
+        // We still have to pass it as input
+        input.into_pipeline_data_with_metadata(metadata),
+    )
+    .map(|(result, _failed)| result);
 
     stack.remove_var(var_id);