diff --git a/src/runtime/chan.go b/src/runtime/chan.go
index 872f17bb84..f20aaef19e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/chan.go
+++ b/src/runtime/chan.go
@@ -77,29 +77,33 @@ func makechan(t *chantype, size int) *hchan {
 	if hchanSize%maxAlign != 0 || elem.align > maxAlign {
 		throw("makechan: bad alignment")
 	}
-	if size < 0 || (elem.size > 0 && uintptr(size) > (_MaxMem-hchanSize)/elem.size) {
+
+	if size < 0 || uintptr(size) > maxSliceCap(elem.size) || uintptr(size)*elem.size > _MaxMem-hchanSize {
 		panic(plainError("makechan: size out of range"))
 	}
 
+	// Hchan does not contain pointers interesting for GC when elements stored in buf do not contain pointers.
+	// buf points into the same allocation, elemtype is persistent.
+	// SudoG's are referenced from their owning thread so they can't be collected.
+	// TODO(dvyukov,rlh): Rethink when collector can move allocated objects.
 	var c *hchan
-	if elem.kind&kindNoPointers != 0 || size == 0 {
-		// Allocate memory in one call.
-		// Hchan does not contain pointers interesting for GC in this case:
-		// buf points into the same allocation, elemtype is persistent.
-		// SudoG's are referenced from their owning thread so they can't be collected.
-		// TODO(dvyukov,rlh): Rethink when collector can move allocated objects.
+	switch {
+	case size == 0 || elem.size == 0:
+		// Queue or element size is zero.
+		c = (*hchan)(mallocgc(hchanSize, nil, true))
+		// Race detector uses this location for synchronization.
+		c.buf = unsafe.Pointer(c)
+	case elem.kind&kindNoPointers != 0:
+		// Elements do not contain pointers.
+		// Allocate hchan and buf in one call.
 		c = (*hchan)(mallocgc(hchanSize+uintptr(size)*elem.size, nil, true))
-		if size > 0 && elem.size != 0 {
-			c.buf = add(unsafe.Pointer(c), hchanSize)
-		} else {
-			// race detector uses this location for synchronization
-			// Also prevents us from pointing beyond the allocation (see issue 9401).
-			c.buf = unsafe.Pointer(c)
-		}
-	} else {
+		c.buf = add(unsafe.Pointer(c), hchanSize)
+	default:
+		// Elements contain pointers.
 		c = new(hchan)
-		c.buf = newarray(elem, int(size))
+		c.buf = mallocgc(uintptr(size)*elem.size, elem, true)
 	}
+
 	c.elemsize = uint16(elem.size)
 	c.elemtype = elem
 	c.dataqsiz = uint(size)