diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
index 7649728d37..b761662d14 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/walk.c
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ walkexpr(Node **np, NodeList **init)
 		if(oaslit(n, init))
 			goto ret;
 
-		if(n->right == N)
+		if(n->right == N || iszero(n->right) && !flag_race)
 			goto ret;
 
 		switch(n->right->op) {
@@ -1390,12 +1390,6 @@ walkexpr(Node **np, NodeList **init)
 	case OMAPLIT:
 	case OSTRUCTLIT:
 	case OPTRLIT:
-		// NOTE(rsc): Race detector cannot handle seeing
-		// a STRUCTLIT or ARRAYLIT representing a zero value,
-		// so make a temporary for those always in race mode.
-		// Otherwise, leave zero values in place.
-		if(iszero(n) && !flag_race)
-			goto ret;
 		var = temp(n->type);
 		anylit(0, n, var, init);
 		n = var;
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue8947.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue8947.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f40c02e998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue8947.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// 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.
+
+// Some uses of zeroed constants in non-assignment
+// expressions broke with our more aggressive zeroing
+// of assignments (internal compiler errors).
+
+package main
+
+func f1() {
+	type T [2]int
+	p := T{0, 1}
+	switch p {
+	case T{0, 0}:
+		panic("wrong1")
+	case T{0, 1}:
+		// ok
+	default:
+		panic("wrong2")
+	}
+
+	if p == (T{0, 0}) {
+		panic("wrong3")
+	} else if p == (T{0, 1}) {
+		// ok
+	} else {
+		panic("wrong4")
+	}
+}
+
+type T struct {
+	V int
+}
+
+var X = T{}.V
+
+func f2() {
+	var x = T{}.V
+	if x != 0 {
+		panic("wrongx")
+	}
+	if X != 0 {
+		panic("wrongX")
+	}
+}
+
+func main() {
+	f1()
+	f2()
+}