diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 42f84f2..5bb05d3 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ uuid = "7a57a42e-76ec-4ea3-a279-07e840d6d9cf"
 keywords = ["probablistic programming"]
 license = "MIT"
 desc = "Common interfaces for probabilistic programming"
-version = "0.11.0"
+version = "0.11.1"
 
 [deps]
 AbstractMCMC = "80f14c24-f653-4e6a-9b94-39d6b0f70001"
diff --git a/src/varname.jl b/src/varname.jl
index 38d558c..7c76abb 100644
--- a/src/varname.jl
+++ b/src/varname.jl
@@ -1112,19 +1112,28 @@ julia> AbstractPPL.prefix(@varname(x.a), @varname(y[1]))
 y[1].x.a
 ```
 """
-function prefix(vn::VarName{sym_vn}, prefix::VarName{sym_prefix}) where {sym_vn,sym_prefix}
+function prefix(
+    vn::VarName{sym_vn,Toptic_vn}, prefix::VarName{sym_prefix,Toptic_prefix}
+) where {sym_vn,sym_prefix,Toptic_vn,Toptic_prefix}
     optic_vn = getoptic(vn)
     optic_prefix = getoptic(prefix)
-    # Special case `identity` to avoid having ComposedFunctions with identity
-    if optic_vn == identity
-        new_inner_optic_vn = PropertyLens{sym_vn}()
-    else
-        new_inner_optic_vn = optic_vn ∘ PropertyLens{sym_vn}()
-    end
-    if optic_prefix == identity
-        new_optic_vn = new_inner_optic_vn
-    else
-        new_optic_vn = new_inner_optic_vn ∘ optic_prefix
-    end
-    return VarName{sym_prefix}(new_optic_vn)
+    new_optic = (optic_vn ∘ PropertyLens{sym_vn}()) ∘ optic_prefix
+    return VarName{sym_prefix}(new_optic)
+end
+function prefix(
+    ::VarName{sym_vn,typeof(identity)}, prefix::VarName{sym_prefix,Toptic_prefix}
+) where {sym_vn,sym_prefix,Toptic_prefix}
+    new_optic = PropertyLens{sym_vn}() ∘ getoptic(prefix)
+    return VarName{sym_prefix}(new_optic)
+end
+function prefix(
+    vn::VarName{sym_vn,Toptic_vn}, ::VarName{sym_prefix,typeof(identity)}
+) where {sym_vn,sym_prefix,Toptic_vn}
+    new_optic = getoptic(vn) ∘ PropertyLens{sym_vn}()
+    return VarName{sym_prefix}(new_optic)
+end
+function prefix(
+    ::VarName{sym_vn,typeof(identity)}, ::VarName{sym_prefix,typeof(identity)}
+) where {sym_vn,sym_prefix}
+    return VarName{sym_prefix}(PropertyLens{sym_vn}())
 end