diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 694b32f8b31..37790e81a29 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ clean:
 
 AUTOFORMAT=-qq -i
 
+DATAFLOW_BRANCH=master
+
 autoformat:
 	find ql/src -name *.ql -or -name *.qll | xargs codeql query format $(AUTOFORMAT)
 
@@ -119,5 +121,5 @@ build/testdb/go.dbscheme: upgrades/initial/go.dbscheme
 sync-dataflow-libraries:
 	for f in DataFlowImpl.qll DataFlowImplCommon.qll tainttracking1/TaintTrackingImpl.qll;\
 	do\
-		curl -s -o ./ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/$$f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/codeql/master/java/ql/src/semmle/code/java/dataflow/internal/$$f;\
+		curl -s -o ./ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/$$f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/codeql/$(DATAFLOW_BRANCH)/java/ql/src/semmle/code/java/dataflow/internal/$$f;\
 	done
diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImpl.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImpl.qll
index 9a7dc9dc1e3..a5c032f2660 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImpl.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImpl.qll
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import DataFlowImplSpecific::Public
  * a subclass whose characteristic predicate is a unique singleton string.
  * For example, write
  *
- * ```
+ * ```ql
  * class MyAnalysisConfiguration extends DataFlow::Configuration {
  *   MyAnalysisConfiguration() { this = "MyAnalysisConfiguration" }
  *   // Override `isSource` and `isSink`.
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import DataFlowImplSpecific::Public
  * Then, to query whether there is flow between some `source` and `sink`,
  * write
  *
- * ```
+ * ```ql
  * exists(MyAnalysisConfiguration cfg | cfg.hasFlow(source, sink))
  * ```
  *
@@ -1051,6 +1051,17 @@ private predicate flowIntoCallNodeCand2(
 }
 
 private module LocalFlowBigStep {
+  /**
+   * A node where some checking is required, and hence the big-step relation
+   * is not allowed to step over.
+   */
+  private class FlowCheckNode extends Node {
+    FlowCheckNode() {
+      this instanceof CastNode or
+      clearsContent(this, _)
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Holds if `node` can be the first node in a maximal subsequence of local
    * flow steps in a dataflow path.
@@ -1065,7 +1076,7 @@ private module LocalFlowBigStep {
       node instanceof OutNodeExt or
       store(_, _, node, _) or
       read(_, _, node) or
-      node instanceof CastNode
+      node instanceof FlowCheckNode
     )
   }
 
@@ -1083,7 +1094,7 @@ private module LocalFlowBigStep {
       read(node, _, next)
     )
     or
-    node instanceof CastNode
+    node instanceof FlowCheckNode
     or
     config.isSink(node)
   }
@@ -1127,14 +1138,14 @@ private module LocalFlowBigStep {
       exists(Node mid |
         localFlowStepPlus(node1, mid, preservesValue, t, config, cc) and
         localFlowStepNodeCand1(mid, node2, config) and
-        not mid instanceof CastNode and
+        not mid instanceof FlowCheckNode and
         nodeCand2(node2, unbind(config))
       )
       or
       exists(Node mid |
         localFlowStepPlus(node1, mid, _, _, config, cc) and
         additionalLocalFlowStepNodeCand2(mid, node2, config) and
-        not mid instanceof CastNode and
+        not mid instanceof FlowCheckNode and
         preservesValue = false and
         t = getErasedNodeTypeBound(node2) and
         nodeCand2(node2, unbind(config))
@@ -1190,6 +1201,7 @@ private predicate flowCandFwd(
   Configuration config
 ) {
   flowCandFwd0(node, fromArg, argApf, apf, config) and
+  not apf.isClearedAt(node) and
   if node instanceof CastingNode
   then compatibleTypes(getErasedNodeTypeBound(node), apf.getType())
   else any()
@@ -2564,7 +2576,7 @@ private module FlowExploration {
 
   private newtype TPartialAccessPath =
     TPartialNil(DataFlowType t) or
-    TPartialCons(TypedContent tc, int len) { len in [1 .. 5] }
+    TPartialCons(TypedContent tc, int len) { len in [1 .. accessPathLimit()] }
 
   /**
    * Conceptually a list of `TypedContent`s followed by a `Type`, but only the first
diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImplCommon.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImplCommon.qll
index 1f42c21d5a7..091ccff09d1 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImplCommon.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowImplCommon.qll
@@ -754,6 +754,13 @@ abstract class AccessPathFront extends TAccessPathFront {
   abstract boolean toBoolNonEmpty();
 
   predicate headUsesContent(TypedContent tc) { this = TFrontHead(tc) }
+
+  predicate isClearedAt(Node n) {
+    exists(TypedContent tc |
+      this.headUsesContent(tc) and
+      clearsContent(n, tc.getContent())
+    )
+  }
 }
 
 class AccessPathFrontNil extends AccessPathFront, TFrontNil {
diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
index b60f1381d84..1d195a0ba35 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ predicate readStep(Node node1, Content f, Node node2) {
   )
 }
 
+/**
+ * Holds if values stored inside content `c` are cleared at node `n`.
+ */
+predicate clearsContent(Node n, Content c) {
+  none() // stub implementation
+}
+
 /**
  * Gets a representative (boxed) type for `t` for the purpose of pruning
  * possible flow. A single type is used for all numeric types to account for
diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/tainttracking1/TaintTrackingImpl.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/tainttracking1/TaintTrackingImpl.qll
index 0f0607662e9..af0d0fec53a 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/tainttracking1/TaintTrackingImpl.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/tainttracking1/TaintTrackingImpl.qll
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ private import TaintTrackingParameter::Private
  * To create a configuration, extend this class with a subclass whose
  * characteristic predicate is a unique singleton string. For example, write
  *
- * ```
+ * ```ql
  * class MyAnalysisConfiguration extends TaintTracking::Configuration {
  *   MyAnalysisConfiguration() { this = "MyAnalysisConfiguration" }
  *   // Override `isSource` and `isSink`.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ private import TaintTrackingParameter::Private
  * Then, to query whether there is flow between some `source` and `sink`,
  * write
  *
- * ```
+ * ```ql
  * exists(MyAnalysisConfiguration cfg | cfg.hasFlow(source, sink))
  * ```
  *