diff --git a/src/go/types/builtins.go b/src/go/types/builtins.go
index b547cddeb1a..daeed81ed8f 100644
--- a/src/go/types/builtins.go
+++ b/src/go/types/builtins.go
@@ -342,26 +342,11 @@ func (check *Checker) builtin(x *operand, call *ast.CallExpr, id builtinId) (_ b
 		if y.mode == invalid {
 			return
 		}
-		// src, _ := structuralType(y.typ).(*Slice); but also accepts strings
-		var src *Slice
-		var elem Type // == src.elem if valid
-		if underIs(y.typ, func(u Type) bool {
-			switch u := u.(type) {
-			case *Basic:
-				if isString(u) && (elem == nil || Identical(elem, universeByte)) {
-					elem = universeByte
-					return true
-				}
-			case *Slice:
-				if elem == nil || Identical(elem, u.elem) {
-					elem = u.elem
-					return true
-				}
-			}
-			return false
-		}) {
-			src = NewSlice(elem)
+		src0 := structuralString(y.typ)
+		if src0 != nil && isString(src0) {
+			src0 = NewSlice(universeByte)
 		}
+		src, _ := src0.(*Slice)
 
 		if dst == nil || src == nil {
 			check.invalidArg(x, _InvalidCopy, "copy expects slice arguments; found %s and %s", x, &y)
diff --git a/src/go/types/index.go b/src/go/types/index.go
index 54398ad19bd..ace9ee06ab4 100644
--- a/src/go/types/index.go
+++ b/src/go/types/index.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (check *Checker) sliceExpr(x *operand, e *ast.SliceExpr) {
 
 	valid := false
 	length := int64(-1) // valid if >= 0
-	switch u := structuralType(x.typ).(type) {
+	switch u := structuralString(x.typ).(type) {
 	case nil:
 		check.invalidOp(x, _NonSliceableOperand, "cannot slice %s: %s has no structural type", x, x.typ)
 		x.mode = invalid
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (check *Checker) sliceExpr(x *operand, e *ast.SliceExpr) {
 			}
 			// spec: "For untyped string operands the result
 			// is a non-constant value of type string."
-			if u.kind == UntypedString {
+			if isUntyped(x.typ) {
 				x.typ = Typ[String]
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
index fdbb7a27404..0d3b6ea5274 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ type myByte2 []byte
 func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j:k] }
 func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | []int }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR no structural type */ [i:j:k] }
 
+func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j] }
+func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR 3-index slice of string */ [i:j:k] }
+func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | []int | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR no structural type */ [i:j] }
+
 // len/cap built-ins
 
 func _[T any](x T) { _ = len(x /* ERROR invalid argument */ ) }
diff --git a/src/go/types/type.go b/src/go/types/type.go
index e283c65289e..099449c8b9c 100644
--- a/src/go/types/type.go
+++ b/src/go/types/type.go
@@ -87,3 +87,40 @@ func structuralType(t Type) Type {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// structuralString is like structuralType but also considers []byte
+// and strings as identical. In this case, if successful and we saw
+// a string, the result is of type (possibly untyped) string.
+func structuralString(t Type) Type {
+	tpar, _ := t.(*TypeParam)
+	if tpar == nil {
+		return under(t) // string or untyped string
+	}
+
+	var su Type
+	hasString := false
+	if tpar.underIs(func(u Type) bool {
+		if u == nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		if isString(u) {
+			u = NewSlice(universeByte)
+			hasString = true
+		}
+		if su != nil {
+			u = match(su, u)
+			if u == nil {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+		// su == nil || match(su, u) != nil
+		su = u
+		return true
+	}) {
+		if hasString {
+			return Typ[String]
+		}
+		return su
+	}
+	return nil
+}