diff --git a/misc/cgo/errors/err3.go b/misc/cgo/errors/err3.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3680a4a4c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/errors/err3.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// 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.
+
+package main
+
+/*
+typedef struct foo foo_t;
+typedef struct bar bar_t;
+
+foo_t *foop;
+*/
+import "C"
+
+func main() {
+	x := (*C.bar_t)(nil)
+	C.foop = x // ERROR HERE
+}
diff --git a/misc/cgo/errors/test.bash b/misc/cgo/errors/test.bash
index 697ae2fed2..f0f60c8445 100755
--- a/misc/cgo/errors/test.bash
+++ b/misc/cgo/errors/test.bash
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ check() {
 
 check err1.go
 check err2.go
+check err3.go
 
 rm -rf errs _obj
 exit 0
diff --git a/src/cmd/cgo/gcc.go b/src/cmd/cgo/gcc.go
index 3e1837ebf9..b8b783051d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cgo/gcc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/cgo/gcc.go
@@ -1327,9 +1327,12 @@ func (c *typeConv) Type(dtype dwarf.Type, pos token.Pos) *Type {
 		// be correct, so calling dtype.Size again will produce the correct value.
 		t.Size = dtype.Size()
 		if t.Size < 0 {
-			// Unsized types are [0]byte
+			// Unsized types are [0]byte, unless they're typedefs of other types.
+			// if so, use the name of the typedef for the go name.
 			t.Size = 0
-			t.Go = c.Opaque(0)
+			if _, ok := dtype.(*dwarf.TypedefType); !ok {
+				t.Go = c.Opaque(0)
+			}
 			if t.C.Empty() {
 				t.C.Set("void")
 			}