diff --git a/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc.rs b/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc.rs
index c9f387d00..d036622e8 100644
--- a/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc.rs
+++ b/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc.rs
@@ -4083,61 +4083,17 @@ impl<'a> CodeGenerator<'a> {
                 ValueConstructorVariant::ModuleConstant { .. } => {
                     unreachable!("{:#?}, {}", constructor, name)
                 }
-
-                ValueConstructorVariant::ModuleFn {
-                    builtin: Some(builtin),
-                    ..
-                } => {
-                    let term = match builtin {
-                        DefaultFunction::IfThenElse
-                        | DefaultFunction::ChooseUnit
-                        | DefaultFunction::Trace
-                        | DefaultFunction::ChooseList
-                        | DefaultFunction::ChooseData
-                        | DefaultFunction::UnConstrData => {
-                            builder::special_case_builtin(builtin, 0, vec![])
-                        }
-
-                        DefaultFunction::FstPair | DefaultFunction::SndPair => {
-                            builder::undata_builtin(
-                                builtin,
-                                0,
-                                &constructor.tipo.return_type().unwrap(),
-                                vec![],
-                            )
-                        }
-
-                        DefaultFunction::HeadList
-                            if !constructor.tipo.return_type().unwrap().is_pair() =>
-                        {
-                            builder::undata_builtin(
-                                builtin,
-                                0,
-                                &constructor.tipo.return_type().unwrap(),
-                                vec![],
-                            )
-                        }
-
-                        DefaultFunction::MkCons | DefaultFunction::MkPairData => {
-                            unimplemented!(
-                                "MkCons and MkPairData should be handled by an anon function or using [] or ( a, b, .., z) or Pair {{fst:a, snd: b}}.\n"
-                            )
-                        }
-                        _ => {
-                            let mut term: Term<Name> = (*builtin).into();
-
-                            term = builder::apply_builtin_forces(term, builtin.force_count());
-
-                            term
-                        }
-                    };
-                    Some(term)
-                }
                 ValueConstructorVariant::ModuleFn {
                     name: func_name,
                     module,
+                    builtin,
                     ..
                 } => {
+                    assert!(
+                        builtin.is_none(),
+                        "found remaining builtin function {func_name:?} ({builtin:?} declared as a module function in {module:?}"
+                    );
+
                     if let Some((names, index, cyclic_name)) = self.cyclic_functions.get(&(
                         FunctionAccessKey {
                             module_name: module.clone(),
@@ -4537,21 +4493,19 @@ impl<'a> CodeGenerator<'a> {
                     | DefaultFunction::Trace
                     | DefaultFunction::ChooseList
                     | DefaultFunction::ChooseData
+                    | DefaultFunction::MkCons
                     | DefaultFunction::UnConstrData => {
-                        builder::special_case_builtin(&func, count, arg_vec)
+                        builder::special_case_builtin(&func, tipo, count, arg_vec)
                     }
-
                     DefaultFunction::FstPair | DefaultFunction::SndPair => {
                         builder::undata_builtin(&func, count, ret_tipo, arg_vec)
                     }
-
                     DefaultFunction::HeadList if !tipo.is_pair() => {
                         builder::undata_builtin(&func, count, ret_tipo, arg_vec)
                     }
-
-                    DefaultFunction::MkCons | DefaultFunction::MkPairData => {
+                    DefaultFunction::MkPairData => {
                         unimplemented!(
-                            "MkCons and MkPairData should be handled by an anon function or using [] or ( a, b, .., z).\n"
+                            "MkPairData should be handled by an anon function ( a, b, .., z).\n"
                         )
                     }
                     _ => {
diff --git a/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc/builder.rs b/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc/builder.rs
index 4ad6b63dd..8b3043155 100644
--- a/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc/builder.rs
+++ b/crates/aiken-lang/src/gen_uplc/builder.rs
@@ -1642,6 +1642,7 @@ pub fn to_data_builtin(
 
 pub fn special_case_builtin(
     func: &DefaultFunction,
+    tipo: Rc<Type>,
     count: usize,
     mut args: Vec<Term<Name>>,
 ) -> Term<Name> {
@@ -1652,6 +1653,26 @@ pub fn special_case_builtin(
 
             term.lambda("_").apply(unit)
         }
+
+        DefaultFunction::MkCons => {
+            let arg_type = tipo
+                .arg_types()
+                .and_then(|generics| generics.first().cloned())
+                .expect("mk_cons should have (exactly) one type parameter");
+
+            if let [head, tail] = &args[..] {
+                Term::mk_cons()
+                    .apply(if arg_type.is_pair() {
+                        head.clone()
+                    } else {
+                        convert_type_to_data(head.clone(), &arg_type)
+                    })
+                    .apply(tail.clone())
+            } else {
+                unreachable!("mk_cons has two arguments.");
+            }
+        }
+
         DefaultFunction::ChooseUnit
         | DefaultFunction::IfThenElse
         | DefaultFunction::ChooseList
diff --git a/crates/aiken-project/src/tests/gen_uplc.rs b/crates/aiken-project/src/tests/gen_uplc.rs
index 0019836e4..ff20150a0 100644
--- a/crates/aiken-project/src/tests/gen_uplc.rs
+++ b/crates/aiken-project/src/tests/gen_uplc.rs
@@ -7025,3 +7025,94 @@ fn qualified_prelude_functions() {
         false,
     )
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn mk_cons_direct_invoke_1() {
+    let src = r#"
+        use aiken/builtin
+
+        test mk_cons_1() {
+            builtin.cons_list(1, []) == [1]
+        }
+    "#;
+
+    assert_uplc(
+        src,
+        Term::equals_data()
+            .apply(
+                Term::list_data().apply(
+                    Term::mk_cons()
+                        .apply(Term::data(Data::integer(1.into())))
+                        .apply(Term::empty_list()),
+                ),
+            )
+            .apply(Term::data(Data::list(vec![Data::integer(1.into())]))),
+        false,
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn mk_cons_direct_invoke_2() {
+    let src = r#"
+        use aiken/builtin.{cons_list}
+
+        test mk_cons_2() {
+            cons_list(Some(42), [None]) == [Some(42), None]
+        }
+    "#;
+
+    let none = Data::constr(1, Vec::new());
+    let some = Data::constr(0, vec![Data::integer(42.into())]);
+
+    assert_uplc(
+        src,
+        Term::equals_data()
+            .apply(
+                Term::list_data().apply(Term::mk_cons().apply(Term::data(some.clone())).apply(
+                    Term::Constant(
+                        Constant::ProtoList(Type::Data, vec![Constant::Data(none.clone())]).into(),
+                    ),
+                )),
+            )
+            .apply(Term::data(Data::list(vec![some, none]))),
+        false,
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn mk_cons_direct_invoke_3() {
+    let src = r#"
+        use aiken/builtin.{cons_list, i_data, mk_nil_pair_data}
+
+        test mk_cons_3() {
+          cons_list(Pair(i_data(1), i_data(1)), mk_nil_pair_data()) == [
+            Pair(i_data(1), i_data(1)),
+          ]
+        }
+    "#;
+
+    assert_uplc(
+        src,
+        Term::equals_data()
+            .apply(
+                Term::map_data().apply(
+                    Term::mk_cons()
+                        .apply(Term::Constant(
+                            Constant::ProtoPair(
+                                Type::Data,
+                                Type::Data,
+                                Constant::Data(Data::integer(1.into())).into(),
+                                Constant::Data(Data::integer(1.into())).into(),
+                            )
+                            .into(),
+                        ))
+                        .apply(Term::mk_nil_pair_data().apply(Term::unit())),
+                ),
+            )
+            .apply(Term::data(Data::map(vec![(
+                Data::integer(1.into()),
+                Data::integer(1.into()),
+            )]))),
+        false,
+    )
+}