diff --git a/doc/progs/cat.go b/doc/progs/cat.go
index c06a730cefa..1f6c0f9df65 100644
--- a/doc/progs/cat.go
+++ b/doc/progs/cat.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func cat(f *file.File) {
 	const NBUF = 512;
 	var buf [NBUF]byte;
 	for {
-		switch nr, er := f.Read(buf); true {
+		switch nr, er := f.Read(&buf); true {
 		case nr < 0:
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error reading from %s: %s\n", f.String(), er.String());
 			sys.Exit(1);
diff --git a/doc/progs/cat_rot13.go b/doc/progs/cat_rot13.go
index 618ae911167..aba8b4c7fb0 100644
--- a/doc/progs/cat_rot13.go
+++ b/doc/progs/cat_rot13.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func cat(r reader) {
 		r = newRotate13(r)
 	}
 	for {
-		switch nr, er := r.Read(buf); {
+		switch nr, er := r.Read(&buf); {
 		case nr < 0:
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error reading from %s: %s\n", r.String(), er.String());
 			sys.Exit(1);
diff --git a/doc/progs/sum.go b/doc/progs/sum.go
index 19600af066a..f087ca3e5c4 100644
--- a/doc/progs/sum.go
+++ b/doc/progs/sum.go
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ func sum(a []int) int {   // returns an int
 
 
 func main() {
-	s := sum([3]int{1,2,3});  // a slice of the array is passed to sum
+	s := sum(&[3]int{1,2,3});  // a slice of the array is passed to sum
 	fmt.Print(s, "\n");
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/exec.go b/src/lib/exec.go
index 425b94eb3ac..6808b95542e 100644
--- a/src/lib/exec.go
+++ b/src/lib/exec.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func Run(argv0 string, argv, envv []string, stdin, stdout, stderr int) (p *Cmd,
 	}
 
 	// Run command.
-	p.Pid, err = os.ForkExec(argv0, argv, envv, fd);
+	p.Pid, err = os.ForkExec(argv0, argv, envv, &fd);
 	if err != nil {
 		goto Error;
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/exec_test.go b/src/lib/exec_test.go
index f4038fbc236..e67c75da3a0 100644
--- a/src/lib/exec_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/exec_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func TestRunCat(t *testing.T) {
 	io.WriteString(cmd.Stdin, "hello, world\n");
 	cmd.Stdin.Close();
 	var buf [64]byte;
-	n, err1 := io.Readn(cmd.Stdout, buf);
+	n, err1 := io.Readn(cmd.Stdout, &buf);
 	if err1 != nil && err1 != io.ErrEOF {
 		t.Fatalf("reading from /bin/cat: %v", err1);
 	}
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func TestRunEcho(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("opencmd /bin/echo: %v", err);
 	}
 	var buf [64]byte;
-	n, err1 := io.Readn(cmd.Stdout, buf);
+	n, err1 := io.Readn(cmd.Stdout, &buf);
 	if err1 != nil && err1 != io.ErrEOF {
 		t.Fatalf("reading from /bin/echo: %v", err1);
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/go/scanner.go b/src/lib/go/scanner.go
index e35cc5c7223..ea5f13769c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/go/scanner.go
+++ b/src/lib/go/scanner.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func charString(ch int) string {
 	case '\v': s = `\v`;
 	case '\\': s = `\\`;
 	case '\'': s = `\'`;
-	default  : s = utf8.EncodeRuneToString(ch);
+	default  : s = string(ch);
 	}
 	return "'" + s + "' (U+" + strconv.Itob(ch, 16) + ")";
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/hash/md5.go b/src/lib/hash/md5.go
index ab3201ffb8b..d9fc6157dc5 100644
--- a/src/lib/hash/md5.go
+++ b/src/lib/hash/md5.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (d *Digest) Write(p []byte) (nn int, err *os.Error) {
 		}
 		d.nx += n;
 		if d.nx == _Chunk {
-			_Block(d, d.x);
+			_Block(d, &d.x);
 			d.nx = 0;
 		}
 		p = p[n:len(p)];
diff --git a/src/lib/hash/sha1.go b/src/lib/hash/sha1.go
index 0bf284ef1ac..788eda860ec 100644
--- a/src/lib/hash/sha1.go
+++ b/src/lib/hash/sha1.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (d *Digest) Write(p []byte) (nn int, err *os.Error) {
 		}
 		d.nx += n;
 		if d.nx == _Chunk {
-			_Block(d, d.x);
+			_Block(d, &d.x);
 			d.nx = 0;
 		}
 		p = p[n:len(p)];
diff --git a/src/lib/http/fs.go b/src/lib/http/fs.go
index d93859dd25c..23a994aa0d7 100644
--- a/src/lib/http/fs.go
+++ b/src/lib/http/fs.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func serveFileInternal(c *Conn, r *Request, name string, redirect bool) {
 	} else {
 		// read first chunk to decide between utf-8 text and binary
 		var buf [1024]byte;
-		n, err := io.Readn(f, buf);
+		n, err := io.Readn(f, &buf);
 		b := buf[0:n];
 		if isText(b) {
 			c.SetHeader("Content-Type", "text-plain; charset=utf-8");
diff --git a/src/lib/io/pipe_test.go b/src/lib/io/pipe_test.go
index df2ed89417b..3358ef20329 100644
--- a/src/lib/io/pipe_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/io/pipe_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func checkWrite(t *testing.T, w io.Write, data []byte, c chan int) {
 func TestPipe1(t *testing.T) {
 	c := make(chan int);
 	r, w := io.Pipe();
-	var buf [64]byte;
+	var buf = make([]byte, 64);
 	go checkWrite(t, w, io.StringBytes("hello, world"), c);
 	n, err := r.Read(buf);
 	if err != nil {
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestPipe1(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func reader(t *testing.T, r io.Read, c chan int) {
-	var buf [64]byte;
+	var buf = make([]byte, 64);
 	for {
 		n, err := r.Read(buf);
 		if err != nil {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func TestPipe2(t *testing.T) {
 	c := make(chan int);
 	r, w := io.Pipe();
 	go reader(t, r, c);
-	var buf [64]byte;
+	var buf = make([]byte, 64);
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		p := buf[0:5+i*10];
 		n, err := w.Write(p);
@@ -91,12 +91,12 @@ func writer(w io.WriteClose, buf []byte, c chan pipeReturn) {
 func TestPipe3(t *testing.T) {
 	c := make(chan pipeReturn);
 	r, w := io.Pipe();
-	var wdat [128]byte;
+	var wdat = make([]byte, 128);
 	for i := 0; i < len(wdat); i++ {
 		wdat[i] = byte(i);
 	}
 	go writer(w, wdat, c);
-	var rdat [1024]byte;
+	var rdat = make([]byte, 1024);
 	tot := 0;
 	for n := 1; n <= 256; n *= 2 {
 		nn, err := r.Read(rdat[tot:tot+n]);
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func testPipeReadClose(t *testing.T, async bool) {
 	} else {
 		delayClose(t, w, c);
 	}
-	var buf [64]byte;
+	var buf = make([]byte, 64);
 	n, err := r.Read(buf);
 	<-c;
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/lib/net/fd.go b/src/lib/net/fd.go
index c098c20b20f..8b26efed503 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/fd.go
+++ b/src/lib/net/fd.go
@@ -265,8 +265,8 @@ func (s *pollServer) Run() {
 		}
 		if fd == s.pr.Fd() {
 			// Drain our wakeup pipe.
-			for nn, e := s.pr.Read(scratch); nn > 0; {
-				nn, e = s.pr.Read(scratch)
+			for nn, e := s.pr.Read(&scratch); nn > 0; {
+				nn, e = s.pr.Read(&scratch)
 			}
 
 			// Read from channels
@@ -287,9 +287,9 @@ func (s *pollServer) Run() {
 	}
 }
 
+var wakeupbuf [1]byte;
 func (s *pollServer) Wakeup() {
-	var b [1]byte;
-	s.pw.Write(b)
+	s.pw.Write(&wakeupbuf)
 }
 
 func (s *pollServer) WaitRead(fd *netFD) {
diff --git a/src/lib/net/fd_darwin.go b/src/lib/net/fd_darwin.go
index 74f0f486779..c543755b97f 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/fd_darwin.go
+++ b/src/lib/net/fd_darwin.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func (p *pollster) AddFD(fd int64, mode int, repeat bool) *os.Error {
 		ev.Flags |= syscall.EV_ONESHOT
 	}
 
-	n, e := syscall.Kevent(p.kq, events, events, nil);
+	n, e := syscall.Kevent(p.kq, &events, &events, nil);
 	if e != 0 {
 		return os.ErrnoToError(e)
 	}
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (p *pollster) DelFD(fd int64, mode int) {
 	// EV_RECEIPT - generate fake EV_ERROR as result of add,
 	//	rather than waiting for real event
 	ev.Flags = syscall.EV_DELETE | syscall.EV_RECEIPT;
-	syscall.Kevent(p.kq, events, events, nil);
+	syscall.Kevent(p.kq, &events, &events, nil);
 }
 
 func (p *pollster) WaitFD(nsec int64) (fd int64, mode int, err *os.Error) {
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (p *pollster) WaitFD(nsec int64) (fd int64, mode int, err *os.Error) {
 			t.Sec = nsec / 1e9;
 			t.Nsec = uint64(nsec % 1e9);
 		}
-		nn, e := syscall.Kevent(p.kq, nil, p.eventbuf, t);
+		nn, e := syscall.Kevent(p.kq, nil, &p.eventbuf, t);
 		if e != 0 {
 			if e == syscall.EINTR {
 				continue
diff --git a/src/lib/net/tcpserver_test.go b/src/lib/net/tcpserver_test.go
index 820220b0338..11b13664b1a 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/tcpserver_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/net/tcpserver_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func runEcho(fd io.ReadWrite, done chan<- int) {
 	var buf [1024]byte;
 
 	for {
-		n, err := fd.Read(buf);
+		n, err := fd.Read(&buf);
 		if err != nil || n == 0 {
 			break;
 		}
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func connect(t *testing.T, network, addr string) {
 		t.Fatalf("fd.Write(%q) = %d, %v", b, n, errno);
 	}
 
-	n, errno = fd.Read(b1);
+	n, errno = fd.Read(&b1);
 	if n != len(b) {
 		t.Fatalf("fd.Read() = %d, %v", n, errno);
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/net/timeout_test.go b/src/lib/net/timeout_test.go
index e1ce9178906..d94b049402f 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/timeout_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/net/timeout_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func testTimeout(t *testing.T, network, addr string) {
 	t0 := time.Nanoseconds();
 	fd.SetReadTimeout(1e8);	// 100ms
 	var b [100]byte;
-	n, err1 := fd.Read(b);
+	n, err1 := fd.Read(&b);
 	t1 := time.Nanoseconds();
 	if n != 0 || err1 != os.EAGAIN {
 		t.Errorf("fd.Read on %s %s did not return 0, EAGAIN: %v, %v", network, addr, n, err1);
diff --git a/src/lib/os/os_test.go b/src/lib/os/os_test.go
index 93a2c5e089b..7349b22476d 100644
--- a/src/lib/os/os_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/os/os_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func size(name string, t *testing.T) uint64 {
 	var buf [100]byte;
 	len := 0;
 	for {
-		n, e := file.Read(buf);
+		n, e := file.Read(&buf);
 		if n < 0 || e != nil {
 			t.Fatal("read failed:", err);
 		}
diff --git a/src/lib/sort_test.go b/src/lib/sort_test.go
index aa80aa10e36..d6c8f90e968 100644
--- a/src/lib/sort_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/sort_test.go
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ func TestSortStringArray(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSortInts(t *testing.T) {
 	data := ints;
-	sort.SortInts(data);
-	if !sort.IntsAreSorted(data) {
+	sort.SortInts(&data);
+	if !sort.IntsAreSorted(&data) {
 		t.Errorf("sorted %v", ints);
 		t.Errorf("   got %v", data);
 	}
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func TestSortInts(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSortFloats(t *testing.T) {
 	data := floats;
-	sort.SortFloats(data);
-	if !sort.FloatsAreSorted(data) {
+	sort.SortFloats(&data);
+	if !sort.FloatsAreSorted(&data) {
 		t.Errorf("sorted %v", floats);
 		t.Errorf("   got %v", data);
 	}
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ func TestSortFloats(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSortStrings(t *testing.T) {
 	data := strings;
-	sort.SortStrings(data);
-	if !sort.StringsAreSorted(data) {
+	sort.SortStrings(&data);
+	if !sort.StringsAreSorted(&data) {
 		t.Errorf("sorted %v", strings);
 		t.Errorf("   got %v", data);
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/tabwriter/tabwriter.go b/src/lib/tabwriter/tabwriter.go
index 26679740bb1..fa0437d0894 100644
--- a/src/lib/tabwriter/tabwriter.go
+++ b/src/lib/tabwriter/tabwriter.go
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ func (b *Writer) writePadding(textw, cellw int) (err *os.Error) {
 	}
 
 	for n > len(b.padbytes) {
-		err = b.write0(b.padbytes);
+		err = b.write0(&b.padbytes);
 		if err != nil {
 			goto exit;
 		}
diff --git a/src/lib/utf8.go b/src/lib/utf8.go
index 448f4819cc5..ff55df80210 100644
--- a/src/lib/utf8.go
+++ b/src/lib/utf8.go
@@ -256,17 +256,6 @@ func EncodeRune(rune int, p []byte) int {
 	return 4;
 }
 
-// EncodeRuneToString returns the UTF-8 encoding of the rune.
-func EncodeRuneToString(rune int) string {
-	if rune < _Rune1Max {
-		return string([1]byte{byte(rune)})
-	}
-
-	var buf [UTFMax]byte;
-	size := EncodeRune(rune, buf);
-	return string(buf[0:size]);
-}
-
 // RuneCount returns the number of runes in p.  Erroneous and short
 // encodings are treated as single runes of width 1 byte.
 func RuneCount(p []byte) int {
diff --git a/src/lib/utf8_test.go b/src/lib/utf8_test.go
index 966b2c97515..1f29cb82d92 100644
--- a/src/lib/utf8_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/utf8_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func TestEncodeRune(t *testing.T) {
 		m := utf8map[i];
 		b := bytes(m.str);
 		var buf [10]byte;
-		n := utf8.EncodeRune(m.rune, buf);
+		n := utf8.EncodeRune(m.rune, &buf);
 		b1 := buf[0:n];
 		if !equalBytes(b, b1) {
 			t.Errorf("EncodeRune(0x%04x) = %q want %q", m.rune, b1, b);
@@ -98,17 +98,6 @@ func TestEncodeRune(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestEncodeRuneToString(t *testing.T) {
-	for i := 0; i < len(utf8map); i++ {
-		m := utf8map[i];
-		s := m.str;
-		s1 := utf8.EncodeRuneToString(m.rune);
-		if s != s1 {
-			t.Errorf("EncodeRuneToString(0x%04x) = %s want %s", m.rune, s1, s);
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestDecodeRune(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < len(utf8map); i++ {
 		m := utf8map[i];
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug045.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug045.go
index 88c005d32da..d8a712c6dab 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug045.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug045.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ type T struct {
 func main() {
 	var ta []*T;
 
-	ta = *new([1]*T);	// TODO: the first * shouldn't be necessary
+	ta = new([1]*T);
 	ta[0] = nil;
 }
 /*
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug059.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug059.go
index 21c078361bb..44f60fedbcb 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug059.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug059.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func main() {
 	as := new([2]string);
 	as[0] = "0";
 	as[1] = "1";
-	m["0"] = *as;
+	m["0"] = as;
 
 	a := m["0"];
 	a[0] = "x";
diff --git a/test/ken/array.go b/test/ken/array.go
index e1a3aed3a86..809d243a42c 100644
--- a/test/ken/array.go
+++ b/test/ken/array.go
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ func
 testpdpf1()
 {
 	a := new([40]int);
-	setpd(*a);
-	res(sumpd(*a), 0, 40);
+	setpd(a);
+	res(sumpd(a), 0, 40);
 
 	b := (*a)[5:30];
 	res(sumpd(b), 5, 30);
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ testpdpf2()
 {
 	var a [80]int;
 
-	setpd(a);
-	res(sumpd(a), 0, 80);
+	setpd(&a);
+	res(sumpd(&a), 0, 80);
 }
 
 // generate bounds error with ptr dynamic
diff --git a/test/ken/rob2.go b/test/ken/rob2.go
index 1b4d86e6f2a..29be2efcc18 100644
--- a/test/ken/rob2.go
+++ b/test/ken/rob2.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func atom(i int) *Slist	// BUG: uses tokenbuf; should take argument
 		slist.atom.integer = i;
 		slist.isstring = false;
 	} else {
-		slist.atom.str = string(tokenbuf)[0:tokenlen];
+		slist.atom.str = string(tokenbuf[0:tokenlen]);
 		slist.isstring = true;
 	}
 	slist.isatom = true;
diff --git a/usr/gri/pretty/platform.go b/usr/gri/pretty/platform.go
index ed680305247..90b9d5ebb96 100644
--- a/usr/gri/pretty/platform.go
+++ b/usr/gri/pretty/platform.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func readfile(filename string) ([]byte, *OS.Error) {
 		return []byte{}, err;
 	}
 	var buf [1<<20]byte;
-	n, err1 := IO.Readn(f, buf);
+	n, err1 := IO.Readn(f, &buf);
 	f.Close();
 	if err1 == IO.ErrEOF {
 		err1 = nil;
diff --git a/usr/gri/pretty/utils.go b/usr/gri/pretty/utils.go
index 1b925b4833b..baacc75de53 100644
--- a/usr/gri/pretty/utils.go
+++ b/usr/gri/pretty/utils.go
@@ -87,5 +87,5 @@ func IntToString(x, base int) string {
 		buf[i] = '-';
 	}
 
-	return string(buf)[i : len(buf)];
+	return string(buf[i : len(buf)]);
 }