diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/go.h b/src/cmd/gc/go.h
index b8c40fcb9d2..9f593ce3d93 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/go.h
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/go.h
@@ -828,8 +828,6 @@ EXTERN	int	funcdepth;
 EXTERN	int	typecheckok;
 EXTERN	int	compiling_runtime;
 
-EXTERN	int	rune32;
-
 /*
  *	y.tab.c
  */
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
index 1963bfbdafd..27878c4623e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static struct {
 	char *name;
 	int *val;
 } exper[] = {
-	{"rune32", &rune32},
+//	{"rune32", &rune32},
 };
 
 static void
@@ -1842,10 +1842,7 @@ lexinit1(void)
 	// rune alias
 	s = lookup("rune");
 	s->lexical = LNAME;
-	if(rune32)
-		runetype = typ(TINT32);
-	else
-		runetype = typ(TINT);
+	runetype = typ(TINT32);
 	runetype->sym = s;
 	s1 = pkglookup("rune", builtinpkg);
 	s1->lexical = LNAME;
diff --git a/test/rune.go b/test/rune.go
index b2c73775d41..3386972b6d7 100644
--- a/test/rune.go
+++ b/test/rune.go
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ var (
 	r4 = 'a'/2
 	r5 = 'a'<<1
 	r6 = 'b'<<2
+	r7 int32
 
-	r = []rune{r0, r1, r2, r3, r4, r5, r6}
+	r = []rune{r0, r1, r2, r3, r4, r5, r6, r7}
 )
 
 var (