diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/sys.go b/src/cmd/gc/sys.go
index e8216981ba6..930e8097ef7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/sys.go
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/sys.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export func	printint(int64);
 export func	printstring(string);
 export func	printpointer(*any);
 export func	printinter(any);
+export func	printarray(any);
 export func	printnl();
 export func	printsp();
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/sysimport.c b/src/cmd/gc/sysimport.c
index 2df5299643d..7727798149f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/sysimport.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/sysimport.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ char *sysimport =
 	"export func sys.printstring (? string)\n"
 	"export func sys.printpointer (? *any)\n"
 	"export func sys.printinter (? any)\n"
+	"export func sys.printarray (? any)\n"
 	"export func sys.printnl ()\n"
 	"export func sys.printsp ()\n"
 	"export func sys.catstring (? string, ? string) (? string)\n"
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
index 8460a82d782..710e1437824 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
@@ -1936,6 +1936,11 @@ loop:
 			argtype(on, l->type->type);	// any-1
 			break;
 		}
+		if(isdarray(l->type)) {
+			on = syslook("printarray", 1);
+			argtype(on, l->type);	// any-1
+			break;
+		}
 		badtype(n->op, l->type, T);
 		l = listnext(&save);
 		goto loop;
diff --git a/src/runtime/array.c b/src/runtime/array.c
index f431794d39c..bbd57b03e1c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/array.c
+++ b/src/runtime/array.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ sys·newarray(uint32 nel, uint32 cap, uint32 width, Array ret)
 		prints("; width=");
 		sys·printint(width);
 		prints("; ret=");
-		sys·printarray(&ret);
+		sys·printarray(ret);
 		prints("\n");
 	}
 }
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ sys·arraysliced(Array old, uint32 lb, uint32 hb, uint32 width, Array ret)
 	if(hb > old.cap || lb > hb) {
 		if(debug) {
 			prints("sys·arraysliced: old=");
-			sys·printarray(&old);
+			sys·printarray(old);
 			prints("; lb=");
 			sys·printint(lb);
 			prints("; hb=");
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ sys·arraysliced(Array old, uint32 lb, uint32 hb, uint32 width, Array ret)
 
 	if(debug) {
 		prints("sys·arraysliced: old=");
-		sys·printarray(&old);
+		sys·printarray(old);
 		prints("; lb=");
 		sys·printint(lb);
 		prints("; hb=");
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ sys·arraysliced(Array old, uint32 lb, uint32 hb, uint32 width, Array ret)
 		prints("; width=");
 		sys·printint(width);
 		prints("; ret=");
-		sys·printarray(&ret);
+		sys·printarray(ret);
 		prints("\n");
 	}
 }
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ sys·arrayslices(byte* old, uint32 nel, uint32 lb, uint32 hb, uint32 width, Arra
 		prints("; width=");
 		sys·printint(width);
 		prints("; ret=");
-		sys·printarray(&ret);
+		sys·printarray(ret);
 		prints("\n");
 	}
 }
@@ -158,18 +158,18 @@ sys·arrays2d(byte* old, uint32 nel, Array ret)
 		prints("sys·arrays2d: old=");
 		sys·printpointer(old);
 		prints("; ret=");
-		sys·printarray(&ret);
+		sys·printarray(ret);
 		prints("\n");
 	}
 }
 
 void
-sys·printarray(Array *a)
+sys·printarray(Array a)
 {
 	prints("[");
-	sys·printint(a->nel);
+	sys·printint(a.nel);
 	prints("/");
-	sys·printint(a->cap);
+	sys·printint(a.cap);
 	prints("]");
-	sys·printpointer(a->array);
+	sys·printpointer(a.array);
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime.h b/src/runtime/runtime.h
index 335301ddf3a..a8d40f84ff4 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime.h
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime.h
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ void	sys·printpc(void*);
 void	sys·printpointer(void*);
 void	sys·printuint(uint64);
 void	sys·printhex(uint64);
-void	sys·printarray(Array*);
+void	sys·printarray(Array);
 void	sys·catstring(string, string, string);
 void	sys·cmpstring(string, string, int32);
 void	sys·slicestring(string, int32, int32, string);