diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/TObject.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/TObject.qll
index 5a5093cd182..8832d3d340f 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/TObject.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/TObject.qll
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ newtype TObject =
     TSpecificInstance(ControlFlowNode instantiation, ClassObjectInternal cls, PointsToContext context) {
         PointsTo2::points_to(instantiation.(CallNode).getFunction(), context, cls, _) and
         cls.isSpecial() = false
+        or
+        literal_instantiation(instantiation, cls, context)
     }
     or
     TSelfInstance(ParameterDefinition def, PointsToContext context, PythonClassObjectInternal cls) {
@@ -129,6 +131,19 @@ predicate class_method(CallNode instantiation, CallableObjectInternal function,
     PointsTo2::points_to(instantiation.getArg(0), context, function, _)
 }
 
+predicate literal_instantiation(ControlFlowNode n, ClassObjectInternal cls, PointsToContext context) {
+    context.appliesTo(n) and
+    (
+        n instanceof ListNode and cls = ObjectInternal::builtin("list")
+        or
+        n instanceof DictNode and cls = ObjectInternal::builtin("dict")
+        or
+        n.getNode() instanceof FloatLiteral and cls = ObjectInternal::builtin("float")
+        or
+        n.getNode() instanceof ImaginaryLiteral and cls = ObjectInternal::builtin("complex")
+    )
+}
+
 predicate super_instantiation(CallNode instantiation, ObjectInternal self, ClassObjectInternal startclass, PointsToContext context) {
     PointsTo2::points_to(instantiation.getFunction(), context, ObjectInternal::builtin("super"), _) and
     (
@@ -267,12 +282,20 @@ library class ClassDecl extends @py_object {
     predicate isSpecial() {
         exists(string name |
             this = Builtin::special(name) |
-            not name = "object" and
-            not name = "list" and
-            not name = "set" and
-            not name = "dict" and
-            not name.matches("%Exception") and
-            not name.matches("%Error")
+            name = "type" or
+            name = "bool" or
+            name = "NoneType" or
+            name = "int" or
+            name = "long" or
+            name = "str" or
+            name = "bytes" or
+            name = "unicode" or
+            name = "tuple" or
+            name = "property" or
+            name = "classmethod" or
+            name = "staticmethod" or
+            name = "MethodType" or
+            name = "ModuleType"
         )
     }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo2.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo2.qll
index 9e9abf2fbe8..34cefd5b339 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo2.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo2.qll
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ cached module PointsTo2 {
     /* Holds if the edge `pred` -> `succ` is reachable, given the context `context`.
      */
     pragma [noopt]
-    private predicate controlledReachableEdge(BasicBlock pred, BasicBlock succ, PointsToContext context) {
+    cached predicate controlledReachableEdge(BasicBlock pred, BasicBlock succ, PointsToContext context) {
         exists(ConditionBlock guard, ObjectInternal value, boolean sense, ControlFlowNode test |
             test = guard.getLastNode() and
             points_to(test, context, value, _) and
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Object.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Object.qll
index 37315eefa62..8d57865c492 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Object.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Object.qll
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ private import semmle.python.types.Builtins
 private cached predicate is_an_object(@py_object obj) {
     /* CFG nodes for numeric literals, all of which have a @py_cobject for the value of that literal */
     obj instanceof ControlFlowNode and
-    not obj.(ControlFlowNode).getNode() instanceof ImmutableLiteral
+    not obj.(ControlFlowNode).getNode() instanceof IntegerLiteral and
+    not obj.(ControlFlowNode).getNode() instanceof StrConst
     or
     obj instanceof Builtin
 }