diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/align.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/align.go
index f29c587877..285d31dc6c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/align.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/align.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ func dowidth(t *types.Type) {
 		}
 
 		t.Width = 0
+		t.Align = 1
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue21882.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue21882.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f77e046960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue21882.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// errorcheck
+
+// Copyright 2017 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 p
+
+type T [2]T // ERROR "invalid recursive type"