diff --git a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/bound_region_errors.rs b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/bound_region_errors.rs
index aa968a1e40f3e..23150fab72f44 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/bound_region_errors.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/bound_region_errors.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ impl<'tcx> UniverseInfo<'tcx> {
         UniverseInfo::RelateTys { expected, found }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn report_error(
+    pub(crate) fn report_erroneous_element(
         &self,
         mbcx: &mut MirBorrowckCtxt<'_, '_, 'tcx>,
         placeholder: ty::PlaceholderRegion,
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ impl<'tcx> UniverseInfo<'tcx> {
                 mbcx.buffer_error(err);
             }
             UniverseInfo::TypeOp(ref type_op_info) => {
-                type_op_info.report_error(mbcx, placeholder, error_element, cause);
+                type_op_info.report_erroneous_element(mbcx, placeholder, error_element, cause);
             }
             UniverseInfo::Other => {
                 // FIXME: This error message isn't great, but it doesn't show
@@ -145,8 +145,11 @@ pub(crate) trait TypeOpInfo<'tcx> {
         error_region: Option<ty::Region<'tcx>>,
     ) -> Option<Diag<'infcx>>;
 
+    /// Constraints require that `error_element` appear in the
+    /// values of `placeholder`, but this cannot be proven to
+    /// hold. Report an error.
     #[instrument(level = "debug", skip(self, mbcx))]
-    fn report_error(
+    fn report_erroneous_element(
         &self,
         mbcx: &mut MirBorrowckCtxt<'_, '_, 'tcx>,
         placeholder: ty::PlaceholderRegion,
@@ -190,12 +193,7 @@ pub(crate) trait TypeOpInfo<'tcx> {
         let nice_error = self.nice_error(mbcx, cause, placeholder_region, error_region);
 
         debug!(?nice_error);
-
-        if let Some(nice_error) = nice_error {
-            mbcx.buffer_error(nice_error);
-        } else {
-            mbcx.buffer_error(self.fallback_error(tcx, span));
-        }
+        mbcx.buffer_error(nice_error.unwrap_or_else(|| self.fallback_error(tcx, span)));
     }
 }
 
@@ -450,7 +448,8 @@ fn try_extract_error_from_region_constraints<'a, 'tcx>(
         ty::ReVar(vid) => universe_of_region(vid),
         _ => ty::UniverseIndex::ROOT,
     };
-    let matches =
+    // Are the two regions the same?
+    let regions_the_same =
         |a_region: Region<'tcx>, b_region: Region<'tcx>| match (a_region.kind(), b_region.kind()) {
             (RePlaceholder(a_p), RePlaceholder(b_p)) => a_p.bound == b_p.bound,
             _ => a_region == b_region,
@@ -459,7 +458,7 @@ fn try_extract_error_from_region_constraints<'a, 'tcx>(
         |constraint: &Constraint<'tcx>, cause: &SubregionOrigin<'tcx>, exact| match *constraint {
             Constraint::RegSubReg(sub, sup)
                 if ((exact && sup == placeholder_region)
-                    || (!exact && matches(sup, placeholder_region)))
+                    || (!exact && regions_the_same(sup, placeholder_region)))
                     && sup != sub =>
             {
                 Some((sub, cause.clone()))
@@ -468,23 +467,21 @@ fn try_extract_error_from_region_constraints<'a, 'tcx>(
                 if (exact
                     && sup == placeholder_region
                     && !universe_of_region(vid).can_name(placeholder_universe))
-                    || (!exact && matches(sup, placeholder_region)) =>
+                    || (!exact && regions_the_same(sup, placeholder_region)) =>
             {
                 Some((ty::Region::new_var(infcx.tcx, vid), cause.clone()))
             }
             _ => None,
         };
-    let mut info = region_constraints
-        .constraints
-        .iter()
-        .find_map(|(constraint, cause)| check(constraint, cause, true));
-    if info.is_none() {
-        info = region_constraints
+
+    let mut find_culprit = |exact_match: bool| {
+        region_constraints
             .constraints
             .iter()
-            .find_map(|(constraint, cause)| check(constraint, cause, false));
-    }
-    let (sub_region, cause) = info?;
+            .find_map(|(constraint, cause)| check(constraint, cause, exact_match))
+    };
+
+    let (sub_region, cause) = find_culprit(true).or_else(|| find_culprit(false))?;
 
     debug!(?sub_region, "cause = {:#?}", cause);
     let error = match (error_region, *sub_region) {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/region_errors.rs b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/region_errors.rs
index 6b11f1a3681ff..b2056ccc8c60b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/region_errors.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/diagnostics/region_errors.rs
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ impl<'infcx, 'tcx> MirBorrowckCtxt<'_, 'infcx, 'tcx> {
                     let universe = placeholder.universe;
                     let universe_info = self.regioncx.universe_info(universe);
 
-                    universe_info.report_error(self, placeholder, error_element, cause);
+                    universe_info.report_erroneous_element(self, placeholder, error_element, cause);
                 }
 
                 RegionErrorKind::RegionError { fr_origin, longer_fr, shorter_fr, is_reported } => {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/mod.rs
index a80d74d9e370a..eebce11da58f7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/mod.rs
@@ -1623,30 +1623,23 @@ impl<'tcx> RegionInferenceContext<'tcx> {
         let longer_fr_scc = self.constraint_sccs.scc(longer_fr);
         debug!("check_bound_universal_region: longer_fr_scc={:?}", longer_fr_scc,);
 
-        for error_element in self.scc_values.elements_contained_in(longer_fr_scc) {
-            match error_element {
-                RegionElement::Location(_) | RegionElement::RootUniversalRegion(_) => {}
-                // If we have some bound universal region `'a`, then the only
-                // elements it can contain is itself -- we don't know anything
-                // else about it!
-                RegionElement::PlaceholderRegion(placeholder1) => {
-                    if placeholder == placeholder1 {
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-
+        // If we have some bound universal region `'a`, then the only
+        // elements it can contain is itself -- we don't know anything
+        // else about it!
+        if let Some(error_element) = self
+            .scc_values
+            .elements_contained_in(longer_fr_scc)
+            .find(|e| *e != RegionElement::PlaceholderRegion(placeholder))
+        {
+            // Stop after the first error, it gets too noisy otherwise, and does not provide more information.
             errors_buffer.push(RegionErrorKind::BoundUniversalRegionError {
                 longer_fr,
                 error_element,
                 placeholder,
             });
-
-            // Stop after the first error, it gets too noisy otherwise, and does not provide more
-            // information.
-            break;
+        } else {
+            debug!("check_bound_universal_region: all bounds satisfied");
         }
-        debug!("check_bound_universal_region: all bounds satisfied");
     }
 
     #[instrument(level = "debug", skip(self, infcx, errors_buffer))]
@@ -2066,7 +2059,7 @@ impl<'tcx> RegionInferenceContext<'tcx> {
                 constraint.category
             };
 
-            match category {
+            let interest = match category {
                 // Returns usually provide a type to blame and have specially written diagnostics,
                 // so prioritize them.
                 ConstraintCategory::Return(_) => 0,
@@ -2118,9 +2111,13 @@ impl<'tcx> RegionInferenceContext<'tcx> {
                 // specific, and are not used for relations that would make sense to blame.
                 ConstraintCategory::BoringNoLocation => 6,
                 // Do not blame internal constraints.
-                ConstraintCategory::Internal => 7,
-                ConstraintCategory::IllegalUniverse => 8,
-            }
+                ConstraintCategory::IllegalUniverse => 7,
+                ConstraintCategory::Internal => 8,
+            };
+
+            debug!("constraint {constraint:?} category: {category:?}, interest: {interest:?}");
+
+            interest
         };
 
         let best_choice = if blame_source {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/values.rs b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/values.rs
index d9ac5b5cb132a..f1427218cdb02 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/values.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_borrowck/src/region_infer/values.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ rustc_index::newtype_index! {
 
 /// An individual element in a region value -- the value of a
 /// particular region variable consists of a set of these elements.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub(crate) enum RegionElement {
     /// A point in the control-flow graph.
     Location(Location),