diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
index f628f84e..c9fd3e3d 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
@@ -2647,19 +2647,27 @@ fn slotsize(c: *cgen, typn: *syntax.node) i32 = {
 	    kk == syntax.tykind.TY_STR    || kk == syntax.tykind.TY_TAGGED) {
 		return ti.size: i32;
 	};
-	// #75: a struct LOCAL's stack slot is the struct's NATURAL size
-	// rounded up to the 8B slot grain — NOT ti.slotsize, which sums the
-	// slot-padded field widths and over-reserves on sub-8 nested
-	// composites (e.g. outer{a:u8, p:inner{x:u8,y:u8}, z:i64} → ww $32 vs
-	// cstage $16). cstage reserves the local at f->type->size (cmd/w6c/
-	// cgen.c), i.e. the checker's natural r.size (check.ww:2256). Same
-	// dual-SSoT leak as #44 (field-offset) / #55, one notion over. The
-	// TUPLE arm (8B/elem slot, user ruling #60) and ARRAY arm (element
-	// stride, #48 [N]Alias 24B) keep ti.slotsize — deliberate divergences.
-	if (kk == syntax.tykind.TY_STRUCT) {
+	// #75/#9: a struct OR array LOCAL's stack slot is the type's NATURAL
+	// size rounded to the 8B slot grain — NOT ti.slotsize, which sums the
+	// slot-PADDED element/field widths and over-reserves when a nested
+	// element is a sub-8-tail composite (e.g. [2]outer with
+	// outer{a:u8, p:inner{x:u8,y:u8}, z:i64}: outer.slotsize 24 != size 16
+	// → ww frame $48 vs cstage natural $32). cstage's localslot reserves at
+	// round8(f->type->size) (cmd/w6c/cgen.c, frame=(frame+size+7)&~7 over
+	// the checker's natural size); ww's localreserve mirrors that round.
+	// ti.size and ti.slotsize round to the SAME 8-multiple for every array
+	// of prims/arrays (element slotsize==size) and for an 8-multiple tagged
+	// element (#48 [N]Alias), so this arm MOVES only the nested-sub-8-struct
+	// case — the #9 divergence. #75 fixed the TY_STRUCT arm; #9 carries the
+	// identical transform to its TY_ARRAY sibling (same dual-SSoT slotsize
+	// leak as #44/#55, one notion over). The per-element STRIDE is
+	// unaffected: it reads slotsize on the ELEMENT node (struct arm) /
+	// elemsizeofc's natural sub.size, never this array-total arm. TUPLE
+	// keeps ti.slotsize (8B/elem slot, USER ruling #60 — untouched).
+	if (kk == syntax.tykind.TY_STRUCT || kk == syntax.tykind.TY_ARRAY) {
 		return ((ti.size + 7u64) & ~7u64): i32;
 	};
-	if (kk == syntax.tykind.TY_TUPLE || kk == syntax.tykind.TY_ARRAY) {
+	if (kk == syntax.tykind.TY_TUPLE) {
 		return ti.slotsize: i32;
 	};
 	return 8;
diff --git a/test/lang/arr_struct_subtail_frame_test.ww b/test/lang/arr_struct_subtail_frame_test.ww
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..de111821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lang/arr_struct_subtail_frame_test.ww
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+// arr_struct_subtail_frame_test — #9: a local `[N]S` where S is a struct with
+// a sub-8-tail field over-sized its stack FRAME (cs≠ww, gate-visible). The
+// wwstage cgen frame reader (slotsize, cgenutil.ww TY_ARRAY arm) summed the
+// element's slot-PADDED width (outer.slotsize 24) × N instead of the array's
+// NATURAL size (outer.size 16) × N rounded to 8 — so `[2]outer` reserved $48
+// where cstage reserves natural $32, and every later local stacked at a shifted
+// BP offset. ROOT was the SAME dual-SSoT slotsize leak #75 fixed for the
+// TY_STRUCT arm, never carried to its TY_ARRAY sibling; #9 applies the identical
+// round8(ti.size) transform. ti.size == ti.slotsize for every array of prims /
+// arrays / 8-multiple tagged elements, so the fix MOVES only this nested-sub-8-
+// struct case (#48 [N]Alias and 1D/2D prim arrays are unchanged).
+//
+// The LOAD-BEARING tooth is the test-lang-byteid .s comparison: reverting the
+// cgenutil.ww slotsize arm reddens this file (ww frame $48 vs cstage $32). The
+// value asserts are a SECONDARY net — standalone ww is internally consistent at
+// the inflated stride (it reserves AND addresses at the same over-sized frame),
+// so a pure value run can pass while broken; they guard a future stride/offset
+// regression, not the frame size. element_layout pins the natural per-element
+// stride (16) and field offsets (a@0, p.x@1, p.y@2, z@8); cross_element pins
+// that element 0 and element 1 don't alias after the fix shrinks the frame.
+//
+// Inline @test fns, not a row-table: the cases vary in the WRITE/READ place
+// shape over a fixed struct layout, not in data over one operation, so a
+// row-array `[](in,exp){}` can't express them (and that form is blocked by cgen
+// #111). Mirrors dotbase_arr_test's #135 pins.
+
+package arr_struct_subtail_frame_test;
+
+type inner = struct { x: u8, y: u8 };          // natural 2, align 1
+type outer = struct { a: u8, p: inner, z: i64 }; // natural 16, align 8 (sub-8 tail at p)
+
+@test fn element_layout() void = {
+	let arr: [2]outer = [
+		outer { a = 1u8, p = inner { x = 2u8, y = 3u8 }, z = 100i64 },
+		outer { a = 4u8, p = inner { x = 5u8, y = 6u8 }, z = 200i64 }];
+	assert(arr[0].a: i32 == 1);
+	assert(arr[0].p.x: i32 == 2);
+	assert(arr[0].p.y: i32 == 3);
+	assert(arr[0].z == 100i64);
+	assert(arr[1].a: i32 == 4);
+	assert(arr[1].p.x: i32 == 5);
+	assert(arr[1].p.y: i32 == 6);
+	assert(arr[1].z == 200i64);
+};
+
+@test fn write_tail() void = {                 // write the sub-8 tail field then read back
+	let arr: [2]outer = [
+		outer { a = 1u8, p = inner { x = 2u8, y = 3u8 }, z = 100i64 },
+		outer { a = 4u8, p = inner { x = 5u8, y = 6u8 }, z = 200i64 }];
+	arr[1].z = 999i64;
+	arr[0].a = 7u8;
+	assert(arr[1].z == 999i64);
+	assert(arr[0].a: i32 == 7);
+	assert(arr[0].z == 100i64);                // neighbour untouched
+};
+
+@test fn cross_element() void = {              // element 0 and 1 are 16 apart, no alias
+	let arr: [2]outer = [
+		outer { a = 1u8, p = inner { x = 2u8, y = 3u8 }, z = 100i64 },
+		outer { a = 4u8, p = inner { x = 5u8, y = 6u8 }, z = 200i64 }];
+	arr[0].p.y = 77u8;
+	assert(arr[0].p.y: i32 == 77);
+	assert(arr[1].p.x: i32 == 5);              // not clobbered by the elem-0 write
+	assert(arr[1].p.y: i32 == 6);
+};