diff --git a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Implicits.scala b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Implicits.scala
index 280cc40e944e..6cb1f1271fce 100644
--- a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Implicits.scala
+++ b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Implicits.scala
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ object Implicits {
             mt.paramTypes.length != 1 ||
             !(argType relaxed_<:< mt.paramTypes.head)(ctx.fresh.setExploreTyperState)
           case poly: PolyType =>
+            // We do not need to call ProtoTypes#constrained on `poly` because
+            // `refMatches` is always called with mode TypevarsMissContext enabled.
             poly.resultType match {
               case mt: MethodType =>
                 mt.isImplicit ||
diff --git a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ProtoTypes.scala b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ProtoTypes.scala
index db196f0c2fbe..8a758bcc82e2 100644
--- a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ProtoTypes.scala
+++ b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ProtoTypes.scala
@@ -391,11 +391,15 @@ object ProtoTypes {
     case tp: TypeAlias => // default case, inlined for speed
       tp.derivedTypeAlias(wildApprox(tp.alias, theMap))
     case tp @ PolyParam(poly, pnum) =>
-      ctx.typerState.constraint.entry(tp) match {
-        case bounds: TypeBounds => wildApprox(WildcardType(bounds))
-        case NoType => WildcardType(wildApprox(poly.paramBounds(pnum)).bounds)
-        case inst => wildApprox(inst)
-      }
+      def unconstrainedApprox = WildcardType(wildApprox(poly.paramBounds(pnum)).bounds)
+      if (ctx.mode.is(Mode.TypevarsMissContext))
+        unconstrainedApprox
+      else
+        ctx.typerState.constraint.entry(tp) match {
+          case bounds: TypeBounds => wildApprox(WildcardType(bounds))
+          case NoType => unconstrainedApprox
+          case inst => wildApprox(inst)
+        }
     case MethodParam(mt, pnum) =>
       WildcardType(TypeBounds.upper(wildApprox(mt.paramTypes(pnum))))
     case tp: TypeVar =>
diff --git a/tests/pos/i1044.scala b/tests/pos/i1044.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a984dbd67449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i1044.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+object Test {
+  val x = ???.getClass.getMethods.head.getParameterTypes.mkString(",")
+}