diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index cbb77b19..84c1ef0e 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -21874,7 +21874,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -21882,7 +21882,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -21913,7 +21913,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -21921,7 +21921,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -21950,12 +21950,12 @@ fn internstrlit(c: *cgen, bytes: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[3 + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.strlitseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = 3 + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let i: i32 = 0;
 	for (i < total) { p[i] = buf[i]; i += 1; };
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let lab: str;
-	lab.ptr = p;
+	lab.ptr = p.ptr;
 	lab.len = total;
 	let nw: *strlit = alloc(strlit{label=lab, bytes=bytes, slnext=c.strlits})!;
 	c.strlits = nw;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
index 9a8ebd66..f98c2d36 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -838,7 +838,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -875,12 +875,12 @@ fn internstrlit(c: *cgen, bytes: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[3 + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.strlitseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = 3 + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let i: i32 = 0;
 	for (i < total) { p[i] = buf[i]; i += 1; };
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let lab: str;
-	lab.ptr = p;
+	lab.ptr = p.ptr;
 	lab.len = total;
 	let nw: *strlit = alloc(strlit{label=lab, bytes=bytes, slnext=c.strlits})!;
 	c.strlits = nw;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index d76e3f2f..89df55d7 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -21874,7 +21874,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -21882,7 +21882,7 @@ fn mklabel(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -21913,7 +21913,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[i + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.labelseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = i + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let k: i32 = 0;
 	for (k < total) {
 		p[k] = buf[k];
@@ -21921,7 +21921,7 @@ fn mkscratchname(c: *cgen, prefix: str) str = {
 	};
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let r: str;
-	r.ptr = p;
+	r.ptr = p.ptr;
 	r.len = total;
 	return r;
 };
@@ -21950,12 +21950,12 @@ fn internstrlit(c: *cgen, bytes: str) str = {
 	for (dk < n) { buf[3 + dk] = ns.ptr[dk]; dk += 1; };
 	c.strlitseq += 1;
 	let total: i32 = 3 + n;
-	let p: *u8 = amalloc(c.a, (total: u64) + 1u64): *u8;
+	let p: []u8 = alloc([], (total: u64) + 1u64)!;
 	let i: i32 = 0;
 	for (i < total) { p[i] = buf[i]; i += 1; };
 	p[total] = 0u8;
 	let lab: str;
-	lab.ptr = p;
+	lab.ptr = p.ptr;
 	lab.len = total;
 	let nw: *strlit = alloc(strlit{label=lab, bytes=bytes, slnext=c.strlits})!;
 	c.strlits = nw;