diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
index 51938e8fd5..9d630ce97a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ type CmdFlags struct {
 	Live               CountFlag    "help:\"debug liveness analysis\""
 	MSan               bool         "help:\"build code compatible with C/C++ memory sanitizer\""
 	MemProfile         string       "help:\"write memory profile to `file`\""
-	MemProfileRate     int64        "help:\"set runtime.MemProfileRate to `rate`\""
+	MemProfileRate     int          "help:\"set runtime.MemProfileRate to `rate`\""
 	MutexProfile       string       "help:\"write mutex profile to `file`\""
 	NoLocalImports     bool         "help:\"reject local (relative) imports\""
 	Pack               bool         "help:\"write to file.a instead of file.o\""
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ func registerFlags() {
 		case funcType:
 			f := v.Field(i).Interface().(func(string))
 			objabi.Flagfn1(name, help, f)
+		default:
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("base.Flag.%s has unexpected type %s", f.Name, f.Type))
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/util.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/util.go
index 4baddbc029..56fd137de2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/util.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/util.go
@@ -12,10 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"cmd/compile/internal/base"
 )
 
-var (
-	memprofilerate int64
-	traceHandler   func(string)
-)
+var traceHandler func(string)
 
 func startProfile() {
 	if base.Flag.CPUProfile != "" {
@@ -29,8 +26,8 @@ func startProfile() {
 		base.AtExit(pprof.StopCPUProfile)
 	}
 	if base.Flag.MemProfile != "" {
-		if memprofilerate != 0 {
-			runtime.MemProfileRate = int(memprofilerate)
+		if base.Flag.MemProfileRate != 0 {
+			runtime.MemProfileRate = base.Flag.MemProfileRate
 		}
 		f, err := os.Create(base.Flag.MemProfile)
 		if err != nil {