diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/builtin.c b/src/cmd/gc/builtin.c
index b11aa1e6f9d..e2e14f03d2b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/builtin.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/builtin.c
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ char *runtimeimport =
 	"func @\"\".makeslice (@\"\".typ·2 *byte, @\"\".nel·3 int64, @\"\".cap·4 int64) (@\"\".ary·1 []any)\n"
 	"func @\"\".growslice (@\"\".typ·2 *byte, @\"\".old·3 []any, @\"\".n·4 int64) (@\"\".ary·1 []any)\n"
 	"func @\"\".memmove (@\"\".to·1 *any, @\"\".frm·2 *any, @\"\".length·3 uintptr)\n"
+	"func @\"\".memclr (@\"\".ptr·1 *byte, @\"\".length·2 uintptr)\n"
 	"func @\"\".memequal (@\"\".x·2 *any, @\"\".y·3 *any, @\"\".size·4 uintptr) (? bool)\n"
 	"func @\"\".memequal8 (@\"\".x·2 *any, @\"\".y·3 *any) (? bool)\n"
 	"func @\"\".memequal16 (@\"\".x·2 *any, @\"\".y·3 *any) (? bool)\n"
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/go.h b/src/cmd/gc/go.h
index 5150026aec7..21cf8b894d1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/go.h
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/go.h
@@ -1451,6 +1451,7 @@ void	walkswitch(Node *sw);
  *	typecheck.c
  */
 int	islvalue(Node *n);
+int	samesafeexpr(Node *l, Node *r);
 Node*	typecheck(Node **np, int top);
 void	typechecklist(NodeList *l, int top);
 Node*	typecheckdef(Node *n);
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/range.c b/src/cmd/gc/range.c
index 4ed45283238..947b4580ed7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/range.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/range.c
@@ -144,6 +144,72 @@ walkrange(Node *n)
 		fatal("walkrange");
 
 	case TARRAY:
+		// Lower n into runtime·memclr if possible, for
+		// fast zeroing of slices and arrays (issue 5373).
+		// Look for instances of
+		//
+		// for i := range a {
+		// 	a[i] = zero
+		// }
+		//
+		// in which the evaluation of a is side-effect-free.
+		if(!debug['N'])
+		if(!flag_race)
+		if(v1 != N)
+		if(v2 == N)
+		if(n->nbody != nil)
+		if(n->nbody->n != N)	// at least one statement in body
+		if(n->nbody->next == nil) {	// at most one statement in body
+			tmp = n->nbody->n;	// first statement of body
+			if(tmp->op == OAS)
+			if(tmp->left->op == OINDEX)
+			if(samesafeexpr(tmp->left->left, a))
+			if(samesafeexpr(tmp->left->right, v1))
+			if(t->type->width > 0)
+			if(iszero(tmp->right)) {
+				// Convert to
+				// if len(a) != 0 {
+				// 	hp = &a[0]
+				// 	hn = len(a)*sizeof(elem(a))
+				// 	memclr(hp, hn)
+				// 	i = len(a) - 1
+				// }
+				n->op = OIF;
+				n->nbody = nil;
+				n->ntest = nod(ONE, nod(OLEN, a, N), nodintconst(0));
+				n->nincr = nil;
+
+				// hp = &a[0]
+				hp = temp(ptrto(types[TUINT8]));
+				tmp = nod(OINDEX, a, nodintconst(0));
+				tmp->bounded = 1;
+				tmp = nod(OADDR, tmp, N);
+				tmp = nod(OCONVNOP, tmp, N);
+				n->nbody = list(n->nbody, nod(OAS, hp, tmp));
+
+				// hn = len(a) * sizeof(elem(a))
+				hn = temp(types[TUINTPTR]);
+				tmp = nod(OLEN, a, N);
+				tmp = nod(OMUL, tmp, nodintconst(t->type->width));
+				tmp = conv(tmp, types[TUINTPTR]);
+				n->nbody = list(n->nbody, nod(OAS, hn, tmp));
+
+				// memclr(hp, hn)
+				fn = mkcall("memclr", T, nil, hp, hn);
+				n->nbody = list(n->nbody, fn);
+
+				// i = len(a) - 1
+				v1 = nod(OAS, v1, nod(OSUB, nod(OLEN, a, N), nodintconst(1)));
+				n->nbody = list(n->nbody, v1);
+
+				typecheck(&n->ntest, Erv);
+				typechecklist(n->nbody, Etop);
+				walkstmt(&n);
+				lineno = lno;
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+
 		// orderstmt arranged for a copy of the array/slice variable if needed.
 		ha = a;
 		hv1 = temp(types[TINT]);
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/runtime.go b/src/cmd/gc/runtime.go
index a294456007a..463bb3a76da 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/runtime.go
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/runtime.go
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ func block()
 func makeslice(typ *byte, nel int64, cap int64) (ary []any)
 func growslice(typ *byte, old []any, n int64) (ary []any)
 func memmove(to *any, frm *any, length uintptr)
+func memclr(ptr *byte, length uintptr)
 
 func memequal(x, y *any, size uintptr) bool
 func memequal8(x, y *any) bool
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c b/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
index aa693aff7f9..8a3b486bd66 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
@@ -2831,7 +2831,7 @@ checkassignlist(NodeList *l)
 
 // Check whether l and r are the same side effect-free expression,
 // so that it is safe to reuse one instead of computing both.
-static int
+int
 samesafeexpr(Node *l, Node *r)
 {
 	if(l->op != r->op || !eqtype(l->type, r->type))
diff --git a/src/runtime/memmove_test.go b/src/runtime/memmove_test.go
index ffda4fe6c53..29c62cc37d0 100644
--- a/src/runtime/memmove_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/memmove_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,20 @@ func BenchmarkMemclr256(b *testing.B)   { bmMemclr(b, 256) }
 func BenchmarkMemclr4096(b *testing.B)  { bmMemclr(b, 4096) }
 func BenchmarkMemclr65536(b *testing.B) { bmMemclr(b, 65536) }
 
+func bmGoMemclr(b *testing.B, n int) {
+	x := make([]byte, n)
+	b.SetBytes(int64(n))
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for j := range x {
+			x[j] = 0
+		}
+	}
+}
+func BenchmarkGoMemclr5(b *testing.B)   { bmGoMemclr(b, 5) }
+func BenchmarkGoMemclr16(b *testing.B)  { bmGoMemclr(b, 16) }
+func BenchmarkGoMemclr64(b *testing.B)  { bmGoMemclr(b, 64) }
+func BenchmarkGoMemclr256(b *testing.B) { bmGoMemclr(b, 256) }
+
 func BenchmarkClearFat8(b *testing.B) {
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		var x [8 / 4]uint32
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue5373.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue5373.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..17ce189f959
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue5373.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// run
+
+// Copyright 2015 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.
+
+// Ensure that zeroing range loops have the requisite side-effects.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func check(n int) {
+	// When n == 0, i is untouched by the range loop.
+	// Picking an initial value of -1 for i makes the
+	// "want" calculation below correct in all cases.
+	i := -1
+	s := make([]byte, n)
+	for i = range s {
+		s[i] = 0
+	}
+	if want := n - 1; i != want {
+		fmt.Printf("index after range with side-effect = %d want %d\n", i, want)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	i = n + 1
+	// i is shadowed here, so its value should be unchanged.
+	for i := range s {
+		s[i] = 0
+	}
+	if want := n + 1; i != want {
+		fmt.Printf("index after range without side-effect = %d want %d\n", i, want)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// Index variable whose evaluation has side-effects
+	var x int
+	f := func() int {
+		x++
+		return 0
+	}
+	var a [1]int
+	for a[f()] = range s {
+		s[a[f()]] = 0
+	}
+	if want := n * 2; x != want {
+		fmt.Printf("index function calls = %d want %d\n", x, want)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// Range expression whose evaluation has side-effects
+	x = 0
+	b := [1][]byte{s}
+	for i := range b[f()] {
+		b[f()][i] = 0
+	}
+	if want := n + 1; x != n+1 {
+		fmt.Printf("range expr function calls = %d want %d\n", x, want)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
+
+func main() {
+	check(0)
+	check(1)
+	check(15)
+}