diff --git a/firedrake/formmanipulation.py b/firedrake/formmanipulation.py
index eda7b730a1..501dee02e0 100644
--- a/firedrake/formmanipulation.py
+++ b/firedrake/formmanipulation.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 from firedrake.petsc import PETSc
 from firedrake.ufl_expr import Argument
+from tsfc.ufl_utils import remove_indices
 
 
 class ExtractSubBlock(MultiFunction):
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ def argument(self, o):
 
 
 @PETSc.Log.EventDecorator()
-def split_form(form, diagonal=False):
+def split_form(form, diagonal=False, do_simplify=True):
     """Split a form into a tuple of sub-forms defined on the component spaces.
 
     Each entry is a :class:`SplitForm` tuple of the indices into the
@@ -169,6 +170,8 @@ def split_form(form, diagonal=False):
         assert len(shape) == 2
     for idx in numpy.ndindex(shape):
         f = splitter.split(form, idx)
+        if do_simplify:
+            f = remove_indices(f)
         if len(f.integrals()) > 0:
             if diagonal:
                 i, j = idx
diff --git a/firedrake/slate/static_condensation/la_utils.py b/firedrake/slate/static_condensation/la_utils.py
index 0748558a77..e36716a901 100644
--- a/firedrake/slate/static_condensation/la_utils.py
+++ b/firedrake/slate/static_condensation/la_utils.py
@@ -316,7 +316,11 @@ def __init__(self, prefix, Atilde, K, KT, pc, vidx, pidx, non_zero_saddle_mat=No
             self.inner_S_inv_hat = self.build_inner_S_inv()
 
     def _split_mixed_operator(self):
-        split_mixed_op = dict(split_form(self.Atilde.form))
+        # Note that if the subform (successfully) simplifies to Zero(),
+        # the subform will no longer carry arguments, which slate uses
+        # to determine the shape of the Matrix. As a workaround, we
+        # set a flag to not simplify the subforms.
+        split_mixed_op = dict(split_form(self.Atilde.form, do_simplify=False))
         id0, id1 = (self.vidx, self.pidx)
         A00 = Tensor(split_mixed_op[(id0, id0)])
         self.list_split_mixed_ops = [A00, None, None, None]
@@ -327,12 +331,12 @@ def _split_mixed_operator(self):
             A11 = Tensor(split_mixed_op[(id1, id1)])
             self.list_split_mixed_ops = [A00, A01, A10, A11]
 
-            split_trace_op = dict(split_form(self.K.form))
+            split_trace_op = dict(split_form(self.K.form, do_simplify=False))
             K0 = Tensor(split_trace_op[(0, id0)])
             K1 = Tensor(split_trace_op[(0, id1)])
             self.list_split_trace_ops = [K0, K1]
 
-            split_trace_op_transpose = dict(split_form(self.KT.form))
+            split_trace_op_transpose = dict(split_form(self.KT.form, do_simplify=False))
             K0 = Tensor(split_trace_op_transpose[(id0, 0)])
             K1 = Tensor(split_trace_op_transpose[(id1, 0)])
             self.list_split_trace_ops_transpose = [K0, K1]
diff --git a/tests/slate/test_assemble_tensors.py b/tests/slate/test_assemble_tensors.py
index 5aff159b9b..f9390268d3 100644
--- a/tests/slate/test_assemble_tensors.py
+++ b/tests/slate/test_assemble_tensors.py
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def test_matrix_subblocks(mesh):
 
     # Test individual blocks
     indices = [(0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2)]
-    refs = dict(split_form(A.form))
+    refs = dict(split_form(A.form, do_simplify=False),)
     _A = A.blocks
     for x, y in indices:
         ref = assemble(refs[x, y]).M.values