diff --git a/nac3artiq/demo/embedding_map.py b/nac3artiq/demo/embedding_map.py
index 74b9aa1..dc64d7d 100644
--- a/nac3artiq/demo/embedding_map.py
+++ b/nac3artiq/demo/embedding_map.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ class EmbeddingMap:
                                           "CacheError",
                                           "SPIError",
                                           "0:ZeroDivisionError",
-                                          "0:IndexError"])
+                                          "0:IndexError",
+                                          "0:UnwrapNoneError"])
 
     def preallocate_runtime_exception_names(self, names):
         for i, name in enumerate(names):
diff --git a/nac3artiq/demo/min_artiq.py b/nac3artiq/demo/min_artiq.py
index bea9cc8..1dd5786 100644
--- a/nac3artiq/demo/min_artiq.py
+++ b/nac3artiq/demo/min_artiq.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from embedding_map import EmbeddingMap
 
 __all__ = [
     "Kernel", "KernelInvariant", "virtual",
-    "Option", "Some", "none",
+    "Option", "Some", "none", "UnwrapNoneError",
     "round64", "floor64", "ceil64",
     "extern", "kernel", "portable", "nac3",
     "rpc", "ms", "us", "ns",
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ class Option(Generic[T]):
         return not self.is_none()
     
     def unwrap(self):
+        if self.is_none():
+            raise UnwrapNoneError()
         return self._nac3_option
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
@@ -272,5 +274,10 @@ class KernelContextManager:
     def __exit__(self):
         pass
 
+@nac3
+class UnwrapNoneError(Exception):
+    """raised when unwrapping a none value"""
+    artiq_builtin = True
+
 parallel = KernelContextManager()
 sequential = KernelContextManager()
diff --git a/nac3artiq/src/lib.rs b/nac3artiq/src/lib.rs
index 561fb6f..1682758 100644
--- a/nac3artiq/src/lib.rs
+++ b/nac3artiq/src/lib.rs
@@ -496,7 +496,8 @@ impl Nac3 {
             "KeyError",
             "NotImplementedError",
             "OverflowError",
-            "IOError"
+            "IOError",
+            "UnwrapNoneError",
         ];
         add_exceptions(&mut composer, &mut builtins_def, &mut builtins_ty, &exception_names);
 
diff --git a/nac3core/src/codegen/expr.rs b/nac3core/src/codegen/expr.rs
index cf6cb33..7991b55 100644
--- a/nac3core/src/codegen/expr.rs
+++ b/nac3core/src/codegen/expr.rs
@@ -1309,6 +1309,26 @@ pub fn gen_expr<'ctx, 'a, G: CodeGenerator>(
                             unreachable!()
                         }
                     };
+                    // directly generate code for option.unwrap
+                    // since it needs location information from ast
+                    if attr == &"unwrap".into()
+                        && id == ctx.primitives.option.get_obj_id(&ctx.unifier)
+                    {
+                        if let BasicValueEnum::PointerValue(ptr) = val.to_basic_value_enum(ctx, generator)? {
+                            let not_null = ctx.builder.build_is_not_null(ptr, "unwrap_not_null");
+                            ctx.make_assert(
+                                generator,
+                                not_null,
+                                "0:UnwrapNoneError",
+                                "",
+                                [None, None, None],
+                                expr.location,
+                            );
+                            return Ok(Some(ctx.builder.build_load(ptr, "unwrap_some").into()))
+                        } else {
+                            unreachable!("option must be ptr")
+                        }
+                    }
                     return Ok(generator
                         .gen_call(
                             ctx,
diff --git a/nac3core/src/toplevel/builtins.rs b/nac3core/src/toplevel/builtins.rs
index 994fa78..6b17128 100644
--- a/nac3core/src/toplevel/builtins.rs
+++ b/nac3core/src/toplevel/builtins.rs
@@ -264,12 +264,7 @@ pub fn get_builtins(primitives: &mut (PrimitiveStore, Unifier)) -> BuiltinInfo {
             resolver: None,
             codegen_callback: Some(Arc::new(GenCall::new(Box::new(
                 |ctx, obj, _, _, generator| {
-                    let obj_val = obj.unwrap().1.clone().to_basic_value_enum(ctx, generator)?;
-                    if let BasicValueEnum::PointerValue(ptr) = obj_val {
-                        Ok(Some(ctx.builder.build_load(ptr, "unwrap_some")))
-                    } else {
-                        unreachable!("option must be ptr")
-                    }
+                    unreachable!("handled in gen_expr")
                 },
             )))),
             loc: None,