diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
index 8ca0acde515..5dcb29ea05b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ func staticcopy(l *Node, r *Node, out *[]*Node) bool {
 	orig := r
 	r = r.Name.Defn.Right
 
-	for r.Op == OCONVNOP {
+	for r.Op == OCONVNOP && !Eqtype(r.Type, l.Type) {
 		r = r.Left
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue17111.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue17111.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..05284a785f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue17111.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// compile
+
+// Copyright 2016 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+type I int
+
+var (
+	i int
+	x = I(i)
+
+	e interface{} = x
+)