diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
index c988c575dc..e11c0eb92c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"cmd/compile/internal/ir"
 	"cmd/compile/internal/types"
 	"cmd/internal/src"
+	"go/constant"
 )
 
 var basicTypes = [...]struct {
@@ -163,14 +164,10 @@ func initUniverse() {
 	}
 
 	s = types.BuiltinPkg.Lookup("true")
-	b := nodbool(true)
-	b.(*ir.Name).SetSym(lookup("true"))
-	s.Def = b
+	s.Def = ir.NewConstAt(src.NoXPos, s, types.UntypedBool, constant.MakeBool(true))
 
 	s = types.BuiltinPkg.Lookup("false")
-	b = nodbool(false)
-	b.(*ir.Name).SetSym(lookup("false"))
-	s.Def = b
+	s.Def = ir.NewConstAt(src.NoXPos, s, types.UntypedBool, constant.MakeBool(false))
 
 	s = lookup("_")
 	types.BlankSym = s
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
index d74e7f8763..5937798bd4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
@@ -136,6 +136,25 @@ func (n *AddrExpr) SetOp(op Op) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A BasicLit is a literal of basic type.
+type BasicLit struct {
+	miniExpr
+	val constant.Value
+}
+
+func NewBasicLit(pos src.XPos, val constant.Value) Node {
+	n := &BasicLit{val: val}
+	n.op = OLITERAL
+	n.pos = pos
+	if k := val.Kind(); k != constant.Unknown {
+		n.SetType(idealType(k))
+	}
+	return n
+}
+
+func (n *BasicLit) Val() constant.Value       { return n.val }
+func (n *BasicLit) SetVal(val constant.Value) { n.val = val }
+
 // A BinaryExpr is a binary expression X Op Y,
 // or Op(X, Y) for builtin functions that do not become calls.
 type BinaryExpr struct {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/name.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/name.go
index 9cf959b23d..b0b33cccfa 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/name.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/name.go
@@ -179,6 +179,17 @@ func NewDeclNameAt(pos src.XPos, op Op, sym *types.Sym) *Name {
 	return newNameAt(pos, op, sym)
 }
 
+// NewConstAt returns a new OLITERAL Node associated with symbol s at position pos.
+func NewConstAt(pos src.XPos, sym *types.Sym, typ *types.Type, val constant.Value) *Name {
+	if sym == nil {
+		base.Fatalf("NewConstAt nil")
+	}
+	n := newNameAt(pos, OLITERAL, sym)
+	n.SetType(typ)
+	n.SetVal(val)
+	return n
+}
+
 // newNameAt is like NewNameAt but allows sym == nil.
 func newNameAt(pos src.XPos, op Op, sym *types.Sym) *Name {
 	n := new(Name)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node_gen.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node_gen.go
index a0fae2b949..a5959ea26f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node_gen.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node_gen.go
@@ -116,6 +116,21 @@ func (n *AssignStmt) editChildren(edit func(Node) Node) {
 	n.Y = maybeEdit(n.Y, edit)
 }
 
+func (n *BasicLit) Format(s fmt.State, verb rune) { FmtNode(n, s, verb) }
+func (n *BasicLit) copy() Node {
+	c := *n
+	c.init = c.init.Copy()
+	return &c
+}
+func (n *BasicLit) doChildren(do func(Node) error) error {
+	var err error
+	err = maybeDoList(n.init, err, do)
+	return err
+}
+func (n *BasicLit) editChildren(edit func(Node) Node) {
+	editList(n.init, edit)
+}
+
 func (n *BinaryExpr) Format(s fmt.State, verb rune) { FmtNode(n, s, verb) }
 func (n *BinaryExpr) copy() Node {
 	c := *n
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/val.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/val.go
index 5b0506c0d0..ff45f31074 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/val.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/val.go
@@ -92,12 +92,7 @@ func ValidTypeForConst(t *types.Type, v constant.Value) bool {
 
 // nodlit returns a new untyped constant with value v.
 func NewLiteral(v constant.Value) Node {
-	n := newNameAt(base.Pos, OLITERAL, nil)
-	if k := v.Kind(); k != constant.Unknown {
-		n.SetType(idealType(k))
-		n.SetVal(v)
-	}
-	return n
+	return NewBasicLit(base.Pos, v)
 }
 
 func idealType(ct constant.Kind) *types.Type {