diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/decl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/decl.go
index 54a13b498b9..87a8667003f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/decl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/decl.go
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ func (g *irgen) funcDecl(out *ir.Nodes, decl *syntax.FuncDecl) {
 		// the Fields to represent the receiver's method set.
 		if recv := fn.Type().Recv(); recv != nil {
 			typ := types.ReceiverBaseType(recv.Type)
-			if typ.OrigSym != nil {
+			if typ.OrigSym() != nil {
 				// For a generic method, we mark the methods on the
 				// base generic type, since those are the methods
 				// that will be stenciled.
-				typ = typ.OrigSym.Def.Type()
+				typ = typ.OrigSym().Def.Type()
 			}
 			meth := typecheck.Lookdot1(fn, typecheck.Lookup(decl.Name.Value), typ, typ.Methods(), 0)
 			meth.SetNointerface(true)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
index 7b85a888308..00c46765309 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func (g *irgen) stencil() {
 				targs := deref(meth.Type().Recv().Type).RParams()
 
 				t := meth.X.Type()
-				baseSym := deref(t).OrigSym
+				baseSym := deref(t).OrigSym()
 				baseType := baseSym.Def.(*ir.Name).Type()
 				var gf *ir.Name
 				for _, m := range baseType.Methods().Slice() {
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func (g *irgen) buildClosure(outer *ir.Func, x ir.Node) ir.Node {
 			// actually generic, so no need to build a closure.
 			return x
 		}
-		baseType := recv.OrigSym.Def.Type()
+		baseType := recv.OrigSym().Def.Type()
 		var gf *ir.Name
 		for _, m := range baseType.Methods().Slice() {
 			if se.Sel == m.Sym {
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func (g *irgen) instantiateMethods() {
 		typecheck.NeedRuntimeType(typ)
 		// Lookup the method on the base generic type, since methods may
 		// not be set on imported instantiated types.
-		baseSym := typ.OrigSym
+		baseSym := typ.OrigSym()
 		baseType := baseSym.Def.(*ir.Name).Type()
 		for j, _ := range typ.Methods().Slice() {
 			if baseType.Methods().Slice()[j].Nointerface() {
@@ -1465,7 +1465,7 @@ func (g *irgen) getDictionarySym(gf *ir.Name, targs []*types.Type, isMeth bool)
 					// instantiated type, so we need a
 					// sub-dictionary.
 					targs := recvType.RParams()
-					genRecvType := recvType.OrigSym.Def.Type()
+					genRecvType := recvType.OrigSym().Def.Type()
 					nameNode = typecheck.Lookdot1(call.X, se.Sel, genRecvType, genRecvType.Methods(), 1).Nname.(*ir.Name)
 					sym = g.getDictionarySym(nameNode, targs, true)
 				} else {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/types.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/types.go
index e00a3a5da91..c549dffc461 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/types.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/types.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (g *irgen) typ0(typ types2.Type) *types.Type {
 			//fmt.Printf("Saw new type %v %v\n", instName, ntyp.HasTParam())
 
 			// Save the symbol for the base generic type.
-			ntyp.OrigSym = g.pkg(typ.Obj().Pkg()).Lookup(typ.Obj().Name())
+			ntyp.SetOrigSym(g.pkg(typ.Obj().Pkg()).Lookup(typ.Obj().Name()))
 			ntyp.SetUnderlying(g.typ1(typ.Underlying()))
 			if typ.NumMethods() != 0 {
 				// Save a delayed call to g.fillinMethods() (once
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/crawler.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/crawler.go
index 9a348b9f374..9e523c3d142 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/crawler.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/crawler.go
@@ -222,9 +222,9 @@ func (p *crawler) markInlBody(n *ir.Name) {
 // for export), so its methods will be available for inlining if needed.
 func (p *crawler) checkGenericType(t *types.Type) {
 	if t != nil && t.HasTParam() {
-		if t.OrigSym != nil {
+		if t.OrigSym() != nil {
 			// Convert to the base generic type.
-			t = t.OrigSym.Def.Type()
+			t = t.OrigSym().Def.Type()
 		}
 		p.markType(t)
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
index 82006c32456..dbdf8eda358 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ func (w *exportWriter) startType(k itag) {
 
 func (w *exportWriter) doTyp(t *types.Type) {
 	s := t.Sym()
-	if s != nil && t.OrigSym != nil {
+	if s != nil && t.OrigSym() != nil {
 		assert(base.Flag.G > 0)
 		// This is an instantiated type - could be a re-instantiation like
 		// Value[T2] or a full instantiation like Value[int].
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ func (w *exportWriter) doTyp(t *types.Type) {
 		// types or existing typeparams from the function/method header.
 		w.typeList(t.RParams())
 		// Export a reference to the base type.
-		baseType := t.OrigSym.Def.(*ir.Name).Type()
+		baseType := t.OrigSym().Def.(*ir.Name).Type()
 		w.typ(baseType)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
index 87ad5d1c54b..0dfc33db201 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ func (p *iimporter) typAt(off uint64) *types.Type {
 		// No need to calc sizes for re-instantiated generic types, and
 		// they are not necessarily resolved until the top-level type is
 		// defined (because of recursive types).
-		if t.OrigSym == nil || !t.HasTParam() {
+		if t.OrigSym() == nil || !t.HasTParam() {
 			types.CheckSize(t)
 		}
 		p.typCache[off] = t
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ func (r *importReader) node() ir.Node {
 					} else {
 						genType := types.ReceiverBaseType(n1.X.Type())
 						if genType.IsInstantiatedGeneric() {
-							genType = genType.OrigSym.Def.Type()
+							genType = genType.OrigSym().Def.Type()
 						}
 						m = Lookdot1(n1, sel, genType, genType.Methods(), 1)
 					}
@@ -1778,7 +1778,7 @@ func Instantiate(pos src.XPos, baseType *types.Type, targs []*types.Type) *types
 
 	t := NewIncompleteNamedType(baseType.Pos(), instSym)
 	t.SetRParams(targs)
-	t.OrigSym = baseSym
+	t.SetOrigSym(baseSym)
 
 	// baseType may still be TFORW or its methods may not be fully filled in
 	// (since we are in the middle of importing it). So, delay call to
@@ -1803,7 +1803,7 @@ func resumeDoInst() {
 		for len(deferredInstStack) > 0 {
 			t := deferredInstStack[0]
 			deferredInstStack = deferredInstStack[1:]
-			substInstType(t, t.OrigSym.Def.(*ir.Name).Type(), t.RParams())
+			substInstType(t, t.OrigSym().Def.(*ir.Name).Type(), t.RParams())
 		}
 	}
 	deferInst--
@@ -1814,7 +1814,7 @@ func resumeDoInst() {
 // during a type substitution for an instantiation. This is needed for
 // instantiations of mutually recursive types.
 func doInst(t *types.Type) *types.Type {
-	return Instantiate(t.Pos(), t.OrigSym.Def.(*ir.Name).Type(), t.RParams())
+	return Instantiate(t.Pos(), t.OrigSym().Def.(*ir.Name).Type(), t.RParams())
 }
 
 // substInstType completes the instantiation of a generic type by doing a
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/subr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/subr.go
index 73f83f65e40..3ec2cc5d562 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/subr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/subr.go
@@ -1081,8 +1081,8 @@ func (ts *Tsubster) typ1(t *types.Type) *types.Type {
 		forw.SetRParams(neededTargs)
 		// Copy the OrigSym from the re-instantiated type (which is the sym of
 		// the base generic type).
-		assert(t.OrigSym != nil)
-		forw.OrigSym = t.OrigSym
+		assert(t.OrigSym() != nil)
+		forw.SetOrigSym(t.OrigSym())
 	}
 
 	var newt *types.Type
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/type.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/type.go
index c7c8a536546..6f4bd0c114c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/type.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/type.go
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ type Type struct {
 	// For an instantiated generic type, the symbol for the base generic type.
 	// This backpointer is useful, because the base type is the type that has
 	// the method bodies.
-	OrigSym *Sym
+	origSym *Sym
 }
 
 func (*Type) CanBeAnSSAAux() {}
@@ -245,8 +245,8 @@ func (t *Type) SetSym(sym *Sym) { t.sym = sym }
 
 // OrigSym returns the name of the original generic type that t is an
 // instantiation of, if any.
-func (t *Type) OrigSym_() *Sym      { return t.OrigSym }
-func (t *Type) SetOrigSym(sym *Sym) { t.OrigSym = sym }
+func (t *Type) OrigSym() *Sym       { return t.origSym }
+func (t *Type) SetOrigSym(sym *Sym) { t.origSym = sym }
 
 // Underlying returns the underlying type of type t.
 func (t *Type) Underlying() *Type { return t.underlying }