diff --git a/src/lib/go/ast/ast.go b/src/lib/go/ast/ast.go
index e6c3d850fab..6cac8ea1ac0 100644
--- a/src/lib/go/ast/ast.go
+++ b/src/lib/go/ast/ast.go
@@ -204,16 +204,11 @@ type (
 		Sel *Ident;  // field selector
 	};
 
-	// An IndexExpr node represents an expression followed by an index.
+	// An IndexExpr node represents an expression followed by an index or slice.
 	IndexExpr struct {
 		X Expr;  // expression
-		Index Expr;  // index expression
-	};
-
-	// A SliceExpr node represents an expression followed by a slice.
-	SliceExpr struct {
-		X Expr;  // expression
-		Begin, End Expr;  // slice range
+		Index Expr;  // index expression or beginning of slice range
+		End Expr;  // end of slice range; or nil
 	};
 
 	// A TypeAssertExpr node represents an expression followed by a
@@ -283,16 +278,10 @@ const (
 // nodes.
 //
 type (
-	// An ArrayType node represents an array type.
+	// An ArrayType node represents an array or slice type.
 	ArrayType struct {
 		token.Position;  // position of "["
-		Len Expr;  // possibly an Ellipsis node for [...]T array types
-		Elt Expr;  // element type
-	};
-
-	// A SliceType node represents a slice type.
-	SliceType struct {
-		token.Position;  // position of "["
+		Len Expr;  // Ellipsis node for [...]T array types, nil for slice types
 		Elt Expr;  // element type
 	};
 
@@ -345,7 +334,6 @@ func (x *FuncLit) Pos() token.Position  { return x.Type.Pos(); }
 func (x *CompositeLit) Pos() token.Position  { return x.Type.Pos(); }
 func (x *SelectorExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.X.Pos(); }
 func (x *IndexExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.X.Pos(); }
-func (x *SliceExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.X.Pos(); }
 func (x *TypeAssertExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.X.Pos(); }
 func (x *CallExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.Fun.Pos(); }
 func (x *BinaryExpr) Pos() token.Position  { return x.X.Pos(); }
@@ -371,7 +359,6 @@ type ExprVisitor interface {
 	DoParenExpr(x *ParenExpr);
 	DoSelectorExpr(x *SelectorExpr);
 	DoIndexExpr(x *IndexExpr);
-	DoSliceExpr(x *SliceExpr);
 	DoTypeAssertExpr(x *TypeAssertExpr);
 	DoCallExpr(x *CallExpr);
 	DoStarExpr(x *StarExpr);
@@ -382,7 +369,6 @@ type ExprVisitor interface {
 	// Type expressions
 	DoEllipsis(x *Ellipsis);
 	DoArrayType(x *ArrayType);
-	DoSliceType(x *SliceType);
 	DoStructType(x *StructType);
 	DoFuncType(x *FuncType);
 	DoInterfaceType(x *InterfaceType);
@@ -406,7 +392,6 @@ func (x *CompositeLit) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoCompositeLit(x); }
 func (x *ParenExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoParenExpr(x); }
 func (x *SelectorExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoSelectorExpr(x); }
 func (x *IndexExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoIndexExpr(x); }
-func (x *SliceExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoSliceExpr(x); }
 func (x *TypeAssertExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoTypeAssertExpr(x); }
 func (x *CallExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoCallExpr(x); }
 func (x *StarExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoStarExpr(x); }
@@ -415,7 +400,6 @@ func (x *BinaryExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoBinaryExpr(x); }
 func (x *KeyValueExpr) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoKeyValueExpr(x); }
 
 func (x *ArrayType) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoArrayType(x); }
-func (x *SliceType) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoSliceType(x); }
 func (x *StructType) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoStructType(x); }
 func (x *FuncType) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoFuncType(x); }
 func (x *InterfaceType) Visit(v ExprVisitor) { v.DoInterfaceType(x); }
diff --git a/src/lib/go/parser/parser.go b/src/lib/go/parser/parser.go
index 7d18605e4d4..4b733d7b195 100644
--- a/src/lib/go/parser/parser.go
+++ b/src/lib/go/parser/parser.go
@@ -330,9 +330,9 @@ func (p *parser) parseTypeName() ast.Expr {
 }
 
 
-func (p *parser) parseArrayOrSliceType(ellipsis_ok bool) ast.Expr {
+func (p *parser) parseArrayType(ellipsis_ok bool) ast.Expr {
 	if p.trace {
-		defer un(trace(p, "ArrayOrSliceType"));
+		defer un(trace(p, "ArrayType"));
 	}
 
 	lbrack := p.expect(token.LBRACK);
@@ -346,11 +346,7 @@ func (p *parser) parseArrayOrSliceType(ellipsis_ok bool) ast.Expr {
 	p.expect(token.RBRACK);
 	elt := p.parseType();
 
-	if len != nil {
-		return &ast.ArrayType{lbrack, len, elt};
-	}
-
-	return &ast.SliceType{lbrack, elt};
+	return &ast.ArrayType{lbrack, len, elt};
 }
 
 
@@ -713,7 +709,7 @@ func (p *parser) parseChanType() *ast.ChanType {
 func (p *parser) tryRawType(ellipsis_ok bool) ast.Expr {
 	switch p.tok {
 	case token.IDENT: return p.parseTypeName();
-	case token.LBRACK: return p.parseArrayOrSliceType(ellipsis_ok);
+	case token.LBRACK: return p.parseArrayType(ellipsis_ok);
 	case token.STRUCT: return p.parseStructType();
 	case token.MUL: return p.parsePointerType();
 	case token.FUNC: return p.parseFuncType();
@@ -921,9 +917,9 @@ func (p *parser) parseSelectorOrTypeAssertion(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 }
 
 
-func (p *parser) parseIndexOrSlice(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
+func (p *parser) parseIndex(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 	if p.trace {
-		defer un(trace(p, "IndexOrSlice"));
+		defer un(trace(p, "Index"));
 	}
 
 	p.expect(token.LBRACK);
@@ -937,11 +933,7 @@ func (p *parser) parseIndexOrSlice(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 	p.expr_lev--;
 	p.expect(token.RBRACK);
 
-	if end != nil {
-		return &ast.SliceExpr{x, begin, end};
-	}
-
-	return &ast.IndexExpr{x, begin};
+	return &ast.IndexExpr{x, begin, end};
 }
 
 
@@ -1059,7 +1051,6 @@ func (p *parser) checkExpr(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 	case *ast.ParenExpr:
 	case *ast.SelectorExpr:
 	case *ast.IndexExpr:
-	case *ast.SliceExpr:
 	case *ast.TypeAssertExpr:
 	case *ast.CallExpr:
 	case *ast.StarExpr:
@@ -1105,7 +1096,6 @@ func (p *parser) checkCompositeLitType(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 	case *ast.ParenExpr: p.checkCompositeLitType(t.X);
 	case *ast.SelectorExpr: p.checkTypeName(t.X);
 	case *ast.ArrayType: return x;
-	case *ast.SliceType: return x;
 	case *ast.StructType: return x;
 	case *ast.MapType: return x;
 	default:
@@ -1150,7 +1140,7 @@ func (p *parser) parsePrimaryExpr() ast.Expr {
 	for {
 		switch p.tok {
 		case token.PERIOD: x = p.parseSelectorOrTypeAssertion(p.checkExpr(x));
-		case token.LBRACK: x = p.parseIndexOrSlice(p.checkExpr(x));
+		case token.LBRACK: x = p.parseIndex(p.checkExpr(x));
 		case token.LPAREN: x = p.parseCallOrConversion(p.checkExprOrType(x));
 		case token.LBRACE:
 			if p.expr_lev >= 0 {
diff --git a/usr/gri/pretty/ast.txt b/usr/gri/pretty/ast.txt
index fcad4fe437f..7bf8d7131ed 100644
--- a/usr/gri/pretty/ast.txt
+++ b/usr/gri/pretty/ast.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 // Format file for printing AST nodes (package "ast").
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Debugging
+// Elementary types
 
 token.Token =
 	^:string;
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ char =
 bytes =
 	{*};
 
-nil =
-	;  // TODO we see a lot of nil's - why?
+empty =
+	;
 
 exists =
-	*:nil;
+	*:empty;
 
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -98,10 +98,7 @@ ast.SelectorExpr =
 	X "." Sel;
 
 ast.IndexExpr =
-	X "[" Index "]";
-
-ast.SliceExpr =
-	X "[" Begin ":" End "]";
+	X "[" Index [":" End] "]";
 
 ast.TypeAssertExpr =
 	X ".(" Type ")";
@@ -122,10 +119,7 @@ ast.KeyValueExpr =
 	Key ": " Value;
 
 ast.ArrayType =
-	"[" Len "]" Elt;
-
-ast.SliceType =
-	"[]" Elt;
+	"[" [Len] "]" Elt;
 
 ast.StructType =
 	"struct"
diff --git a/usr/gri/pretty/astprinter.go b/usr/gri/pretty/astprinter.go
index c45508868f3..9c1fe743948 100644
--- a/usr/gri/pretty/astprinter.go
+++ b/usr/gri/pretty/astprinter.go
@@ -735,16 +735,10 @@ func (P *Printer) DoIndexExpr(x *ast.IndexExpr) {
 	P.Expr1(x.X, token.HighestPrec);
 	P.Token(noPos, token.LBRACK);
 	P.Expr(x.Index);
-	P.Token(noPos, token.RBRACK);
-}
-
-
-func (P *Printer) DoSliceExpr(x *ast.SliceExpr) {
-	P.Expr1(x.X, token.HighestPrec);
-	P.Token(noPos, token.LBRACK);
-	P.Expr(x.Begin);
-	P.Token(noPos, token.COLON);
-	P.Expr(x.End);
+	if x.End != nil {
+		P.Token(noPos, token.COLON);
+		P.Expr(x.End);
+	}
 	P.Token(noPos, token.RBRACK);
 }
 
@@ -772,14 +766,9 @@ func (P *Printer) DoEllipsis(x *ast.Ellipsis) {
 
 func (P *Printer) DoArrayType(x *ast.ArrayType) {
 	P.Token(x.Pos(), token.LBRACK);
-	P.Expr(x.Len);
-	P.Token(noPos, token.RBRACK);
-	P.Expr(x.Elt);
-}
-
-
-func (P *Printer) DoSliceType(x *ast.SliceType) {
-	P.Token(x.Pos(), token.LBRACK);
+	if x.Len != nil {
+		P.Expr(x.Len);
+	}
 	P.Token(noPos, token.RBRACK);
 	P.Expr(x.Elt);
 }