diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/gen.c b/src/cmd/gc/gen.c
index a7db833a1a..c7c9fcdaff 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/gen.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/gen.c
@@ -732,13 +732,9 @@ cgen_as(Node *nl, Node *nr)
 	}
 
 	if(nr == N || iszero(nr)) {
-		// externals and heaps should already be clear
-		if(nr == N) {
-			if(nl->class == PEXTERN)
-				return;
-			if(nl->class & PHEAP)
-				return;
-		}
+		// heaps should already be clear
+		if(nr == N && (nl->class & PHEAP))
+			return;
 
 		tl = nl->type;
 		if(tl == T)
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue8961.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue8961.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbfb7e67f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue8961.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// run
+
+// Copyright 2014 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.
+
+// Issue 8961. Empty composite literals to small globals were not filled in
+package main
+
+type small struct { a int }
+var foo small
+
+func main() {
+	foo.a = 1
+	foo = small{}
+	if foo.a != 0 {
+		println("expected foo.a to be 0, was", foo.a)
+		panic("composite literal not filled in")
+	}
+}