diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/sinit.c b/src/cmd/gc/sinit.c
index e0581e64ce7..e41d1158499 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/sinit.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/sinit.c
@@ -458,6 +458,9 @@ initfix(NodeList *l)
 if(0)
 return xxx.list;
 
+	if(nerrors != 0)
+		return xxx.list;
+
 	// look for the copy-out reference
 	for(l=xxx.list; l; l=l->next) {
 		r = l->n;
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
index 31b52434a3e..a97ea72314c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
@@ -4534,7 +4534,7 @@ arraylit(Node *n, Node *var, NodeList **init)
 		if(r->op == OKEY) {
 			b = nonnegconst(r->left);
 			if(b < 0) {
-				yyerror("array index must be non-negative integer");
+				yyerror("array index must be non-negative constant");
 				break;
 			}
 			r = r->right;
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug176.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug176.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5820df30842
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug176.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2009 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+var x int
+
+var a = []int{ x: 1}	// ERROR "constant"
+var b = [...]int{ x : 1}	// ERROR "constant"
+var c = map[int]int{ x: 1}
+