diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/copy.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/copy.go
index 7f5d313513..0ab355f767 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/copy.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/copy.go
@@ -64,12 +64,6 @@ func Copy(n Node) Node {
 	return c
 }
 
-func copyList(x Nodes) Nodes {
-	c := make([]Node, x.Len())
-	copy(c, x.Slice())
-	return AsNodes(c)
-}
-
 // DeepCopy returns a “deep” copy of n, with its entire structure copied
 // (except for shared nodes like ONAME, ONONAME, OLITERAL, and OTYPE).
 // If pos.IsKnown(), it sets the source position of newly allocated Nodes to pos.
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/dump.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/dump.go
index bff3a40855..9d6042f78a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/dump.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/dump.go
@@ -140,15 +140,8 @@ func (p *dumper) dump(x reflect.Value, depth int) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// special cases
-	switch v := x.Interface().(type) {
-	case Nodes:
-		// unpack Nodes since reflect cannot look inside
-		// due to the unexported field in its struct
-		x = reflect.ValueOf(v.Slice())
-
-	case src.XPos:
-		p.printf("%s", base.FmtPos(v))
+	if pos, ok := x.Interface().(src.XPos); ok {
+		p.printf("%s", base.FmtPos(pos))
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/mini.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/mini.go
index bf221f75ed..d1d2e266ed 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/mini.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/mini.go
@@ -114,22 +114,22 @@ func (n *miniNode) SetRight(x Node) {
 	}
 }
 func (n *miniNode) SetInit(x Nodes) {
-	if x != (Nodes{}) {
+	if x != nil {
 		panic(n.no("SetInit"))
 	}
 }
 func (n *miniNode) SetBody(x Nodes) {
-	if x != (Nodes{}) {
+	if x != nil {
 		panic(n.no("SetBody"))
 	}
 }
 func (n *miniNode) SetList(x Nodes) {
-	if x != (Nodes{}) {
+	if x != nil {
 		panic(n.no("SetList"))
 	}
 }
 func (n *miniNode) SetRlist(x Nodes) {
-	if x != (Nodes{}) {
+	if x != nil {
 		panic(n.no("SetRlist"))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
index dc86b6c683..ccf3671085 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ const (
 // Nodes is a pointer to a slice of *Node.
 // For fields that are not used in most nodes, this is used instead of
 // a slice to save space.
-type Nodes struct{ slice *[]Node }
+type Nodes []Node
 
 // immutableEmptyNodes is an immutable, empty Nodes list.
 // The methods that would modify it panic instead.
@@ -367,43 +367,37 @@ var immutableEmptyNodes = Nodes{}
 
 // asNodes returns a slice of *Node as a Nodes value.
 func AsNodes(s []Node) Nodes {
-	return Nodes{&s}
+	return s
 }
 
 // Slice returns the entries in Nodes as a slice.
 // Changes to the slice entries (as in s[i] = n) will be reflected in
 // the Nodes.
 func (n Nodes) Slice() []Node {
-	if n.slice == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return *n.slice
+	return n
 }
 
 // Len returns the number of entries in Nodes.
 func (n Nodes) Len() int {
-	if n.slice == nil {
-		return 0
-	}
-	return len(*n.slice)
+	return len(n)
 }
 
 // Index returns the i'th element of Nodes.
 // It panics if n does not have at least i+1 elements.
 func (n Nodes) Index(i int) Node {
-	return (*n.slice)[i]
+	return n[i]
 }
 
 // First returns the first element of Nodes (same as n.Index(0)).
 // It panics if n has no elements.
 func (n Nodes) First() Node {
-	return (*n.slice)[0]
+	return n[0]
 }
 
 // Second returns the second element of Nodes (same as n.Index(1)).
 // It panics if n has fewer than two elements.
 func (n Nodes) Second() Node {
-	return (*n.slice)[1]
+	return n[1]
 }
 
 func (n *Nodes) mutate() {
@@ -422,64 +416,56 @@ func (n *Nodes) Set(s []Node) {
 		}
 		n.mutate()
 	}
-	if len(s) == 0 {
-		n.slice = nil
-	} else {
-		// Copy s and take address of t rather than s to avoid
-		// allocation in the case where len(s) == 0 (which is
-		// over 3x more common, dynamically, for make.bash).
-		t := s
-		n.slice = &t
-	}
+	*n = s
 }
 
 // Set1 sets n to a slice containing a single node.
 func (n *Nodes) Set1(n1 Node) {
 	n.mutate()
-	n.slice = &[]Node{n1}
+	*n = []Node{n1}
 }
 
 // Set2 sets n to a slice containing two nodes.
 func (n *Nodes) Set2(n1, n2 Node) {
 	n.mutate()
-	n.slice = &[]Node{n1, n2}
+	*n = []Node{n1, n2}
 }
 
 // Set3 sets n to a slice containing three nodes.
 func (n *Nodes) Set3(n1, n2, n3 Node) {
 	n.mutate()
-	n.slice = &[]Node{n1, n2, n3}
+	*n = []Node{n1, n2, n3}
 }
 
 // MoveNodes sets n to the contents of n2, then clears n2.
 func (n *Nodes) MoveNodes(n2 *Nodes) {
 	n.mutate()
-	n.slice = n2.slice
-	n2.slice = nil
+	*n = *n2
+	*n2 = nil
 }
 
 // SetIndex sets the i'th element of Nodes to node.
 // It panics if n does not have at least i+1 elements.
 func (n Nodes) SetIndex(i int, node Node) {
-	(*n.slice)[i] = node
+	n[i] = node
 }
 
 // SetFirst sets the first element of Nodes to node.
 // It panics if n does not have at least one elements.
 func (n Nodes) SetFirst(node Node) {
-	(*n.slice)[0] = node
+	n[0] = node
 }
 
 // SetSecond sets the second element of Nodes to node.
 // It panics if n does not have at least two elements.
 func (n Nodes) SetSecond(node Node) {
-	(*n.slice)[1] = node
+	n[1] = node
 }
 
 // Addr returns the address of the i'th element of Nodes.
 // It panics if n does not have at least i+1 elements.
 func (n Nodes) Addr(i int) *Node {
-	return &(*n.slice)[i]
+	return &n[i]
 }
 
 // Append appends entries to Nodes.
@@ -488,13 +474,7 @@ func (n *Nodes) Append(a ...Node) {
 		return
 	}
 	n.mutate()
-	if n.slice == nil {
-		s := make([]Node, len(a))
-		copy(s, a)
-		n.slice = &s
-		return
-	}
-	*n.slice = append(*n.slice, a...)
+	*n = append(*n, a...)
 }
 
 // Prepend prepends entries to Nodes.
@@ -504,38 +484,29 @@ func (n *Nodes) Prepend(a ...Node) {
 		return
 	}
 	n.mutate()
-	if n.slice == nil {
-		n.slice = &a
-	} else {
-		*n.slice = append(a, *n.slice...)
-	}
+	*n = append(a, *n...)
+}
+
+// Take clears n, returning its former contents.
+func (n *Nodes) Take() []Node {
+	ret := *n
+	*n = nil
+	return ret
 }
 
 // AppendNodes appends the contents of *n2 to n, then clears n2.
 func (n *Nodes) AppendNodes(n2 *Nodes) {
 	n.mutate()
-	switch {
-	case n2.slice == nil:
-	case n.slice == nil:
-		n.slice = n2.slice
-	default:
-		*n.slice = append(*n.slice, *n2.slice...)
-	}
-	n2.slice = nil
+	*n = append(*n, n2.Take()...)
 }
 
 // Copy returns a copy of the content of the slice.
 func (n Nodes) Copy() Nodes {
-	var c Nodes
-	if n.slice == nil {
-		return c
+	if n == nil {
+		return nil
 	}
-	c.slice = new([]Node)
-	if *n.slice == nil {
-		return c
-	}
-	*c.slice = make([]Node, n.Len())
-	copy(*c.slice, n.Slice())
+	c := make(Nodes, n.Len())
+	copy(c, n)
 	return c
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/sizeof_test.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/sizeof_test.go
index 181f1462fe..2a618f85ed 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/sizeof_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/sizeof_test.go
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ func TestSizeof(t *testing.T) {
 		_32bit uintptr     // size on 32bit platforms
 		_64bit uintptr     // size on 64bit platforms
 	}{
-		{Func{}, 168, 288},
-		{Name{}, 124, 216},
+		{Func{}, 200, 352},
+		{Name{}, 132, 232},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {