diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/pgen_test.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/pgen_test.go
index f0ebbe0b90..0a95e69c34 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/pgen_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/pgen_test.go
@@ -11,11 +11,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 func typeWithoutPointers() *Type {
-	return &Type{Etype: TSTRUCT, Extra: &StructType{Haspointers: 1}} // haspointers -> false
+	t := typ(TSTRUCT)
+	f := &Field{Type: typ(TINT)}
+	t.SetFields([]*Field{f})
+	return t
 }
 
 func typeWithPointers() *Type {
-	return &Type{Etype: TSTRUCT, Extra: &StructType{Haspointers: 2}} // haspointers -> true
+	t := typ(TSTRUCT)
+	f := &Field{Type: typ(TPTR64)}
+	t.SetFields([]*Field{f})
+	return t
 }
 
 // Test all code paths for cmpstackvarlt.
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sizeof_test.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sizeof_test.go
index 644b9a0736..06a3bf5bb8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sizeof_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sizeof_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestSizeof(t *testing.T) {
 		{StructType{}, 12, 24},
 		{InterType{}, 4, 8},
 		{ChanType{}, 8, 16},
-		{ArrayType{}, 16, 24},
+		{ArrayType{}, 12, 16},
 		{InterMethType{}, 4, 8},
 		{DDDFieldType{}, 4, 8},
 		{FuncArgsType{}, 4, 8},
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/type.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/type.go
index 75f98ee7f0..225a72e41e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/type.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/type.go
@@ -245,8 +245,7 @@ type StructType struct {
 	// Map links such structs back to their map type.
 	Map *Type
 
-	Funarg      Funarg // type of function arguments for arg struct
-	Haspointers uint8  // 0 unknown, 1 no, 2 yes
+	Funarg Funarg // type of function arguments for arg struct
 }
 
 // Fnstruct records the kind of function argument
@@ -304,9 +303,8 @@ func (t *Type) ChanType() *ChanType {
 
 // ArrayType contains Type fields specific to array types.
 type ArrayType struct {
-	Elem        *Type // element type
-	Bound       int64 // number of elements; <0 if unknown yet
-	Haspointers uint8 // 0 unknown, 1 no, 2 yes
+	Elem  *Type // element type
+	Bound int64 // number of elements; <0 if unknown yet
 }
 
 // SliceType contains Type fields specific to slice types.
@@ -1315,38 +1313,19 @@ func haspointers(t *Type) bool {
 		TUINT64, TUINTPTR, TFLOAT32, TFLOAT64, TCOMPLEX64, TCOMPLEX128, TBOOL:
 		return false
 
-	case TSLICE:
-		return true
-
 	case TARRAY:
-		at := t.Extra.(*ArrayType)
-		if at.Haspointers != 0 {
-			return at.Haspointers-1 != 0
+		if t.NumElem() == 0 { // empty array has no pointers
+			return false
 		}
-
-		ret := false
-		if t.NumElem() != 0 { // non-empty array
-			ret = haspointers(t.Elem())
-		}
-
-		at.Haspointers = 1 + uint8(obj.Bool2int(ret))
-		return ret
+		return haspointers(t.Elem())
 
 	case TSTRUCT:
-		st := t.StructType()
-		if st.Haspointers != 0 {
-			return st.Haspointers-1 != 0
-		}
-
-		ret := false
 		for _, t1 := range t.Fields().Slice() {
 			if haspointers(t1.Type) {
-				ret = true
-				break
+				return true
 			}
 		}
-		st.Haspointers = 1 + uint8(obj.Bool2int(ret))
-		return ret
+		return false
 	}
 
 	return true