diff --git a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error.rs b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error.rs
index c0318cedd6..e77b2990ab 100644
--- a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error.rs
@@ -38,15 +38,15 @@ impl ErrorDisplayConfig {
         if let Some(&severity) = self.0.get(&kind) {
             return severity;
         }
-        if let Some(parent) = kind.parent_kind() {
-            if let Some(&severity) = self.0.get(&parent) {
-                return severity;
-            }
+        if let Some(parent) = kind.parent_kind()
+            && let Some(&severity) = self.0.get(&parent)
+        {
+            return severity;
         }
-        if let Some(alias) = kind.deprecated_alias() {
-            if let Some(&severity) = self.0.get(&alias) {
-                return severity;
-            }
+        if let Some(alias) = kind.deprecated_alias()
+            && let Some(&severity) = self.0.get(&alias)
+        {
+            return severity;
         }
         kind.default_severity()
     }
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs b/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
index 53aeba2fa7..84b894d337 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
@@ -643,6 +643,68 @@ impl<'a> BindingsBuilder<'a> {
                 self.check_private_attribute_usage(attr);
                 self.ensure_expr(&mut attr.value, usage);
             }
+            Expr::Subscript(ExprSubscript { value, slice, .. }) => {
+                // Some subscripts are (or contain) type expressions even when they appear in a
+                // value context, e.g. `list["A | B"]([x])`. Ensure the slice is bound as a type so
+                // forward-reference strings are parsed and names inside are bound.
+                //
+                // Be careful about attribute access: `dict.__dict__` is an attribute on the class
+                // `dict` (not a module), and `dict.__dict__["fromkeys"]` is a runtime mappingproxy
+                // key lookup. Avoid treating those as "type-like subscripts".
+                let special_export = match &**value {
+                    Expr::Name(_) => self.as_special_export(value),
+                    Expr::Attribute(ExprAttribute { value: base, .. })
+                        if let Expr::Name(base_name) = &**base
+                            && matches!(
+                                self.scopes.flow_style_for_name(&base_name.id),
+                                Some(FlowStyle::MergeableImport(_) | FlowStyle::ImportAs(_))
+                            ) =>
+                    {
+                        self.as_special_export(value)
+                    }
+                    _ => None,
+                };
+
+                if let Some(special_export) = special_export
+                    && matches!(
+                        special_export,
+                        SpecialExport::Union
+                            | SpecialExport::Optional
+                            | SpecialExport::Annotated
+                            | SpecialExport::Callable
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsDict
+                            | SpecialExport::TypingDict
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsList
+                            | SpecialExport::TypingList
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsTuple
+                            | SpecialExport::TypingTuple
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsType
+                            | SpecialExport::TypingType
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsSet
+                            | SpecialExport::BuiltinsFrozenset
+                            | SpecialExport::TypingMapping
+                            | SpecialExport::TypeForm
+                    )
+                {
+                    self.ensure_expr(&mut *value, usage);
+                    let mut type_usage = Usage::StaticTypeInformation;
+                    if special_export == SpecialExport::Annotated
+                        && let Expr::Tuple(tup) = &mut **slice
+                        && !tup.is_empty()
+                    {
+                        // Only the first argument to Annotated[...] is a type; the rest are metadata.
+                        self.ensure_type_impl(&mut tup.elts[0], &mut None, false, &mut type_usage);
+                        for elt in tup.elts[1..].iter_mut() {
+                            self.ensure_expr(elt, &mut Usage::StaticTypeInformation);
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        self.ensure_type_impl(&mut *slice, &mut None, false, &mut type_usage);
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    self.ensure_expr(&mut *value, usage);
+                    self.ensure_expr(&mut *slice, usage);
+                }
+            }
             Expr::If(x) => {
                 // Ternary operation. We treat it like an if/else statement.
                 // Process the test before forking so walrus-defined names are
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/test/typeform.rs b/pyrefly/lib/test/typeform.rs
index 9c20b0709f..99ea9586aa 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/test/typeform.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/test/typeform.rs
@@ -129,3 +129,31 @@ import types
 v: types.UnionType = str | None
     "#,
 );
+
+testcase!(
+    test_typeform_generic_alias_string_type_argument_in_value_context,
+    r#"
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import assert_type
+from typing import Annotated
+
+class Tomato: ...
+class Cucumber: ...
+
+def main(t: Tomato) -> None:
+    a = list["Tomato | Cucumber"]([t])
+    assert_type(a, list[Tomato | Cucumber])
+
+    b = set["Tomato | Cucumber"]([t])
+    assert_type(b, set[Tomato | Cucumber])
+
+    c = frozenset["Tomato | Cucumber"]([t])
+    assert_type(c, frozenset[Tomato | Cucumber])
+
+x = Annotated[int, "meta"]
+
+# `dict.__dict__` is a runtime mappingproxy; string subscripting is a key lookup.
+dict.__dict__["fromkeys"]
+    "#,
+);