diff --git a/cmd/w6c/cgen.c b/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
index 6cba67ff..8cbcc59e 100644
--- a/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
+++ b/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
@@ -2118,10 +2118,6 @@ cgexpr(Cg *c, Node *n, Local *locals)
 				    ? bt->under : bt;
 				int esz = (bu && bu->sub)
 				    ? (int)bu->sub->size : 1;
-				/* str element is u8 — size via the type table
-				 * so #1's TY_STR collapse needs no second edit. */
-				if (bu && bu->kind == TY_STR)
-					esz = (int)ty_u8->size;
 				cgexpr(c, idx, locals);	/* idx → AX */
 				if (esz > 1) {
 					ins2(c, A_MOVQ, aimm(esz),
@@ -6254,9 +6250,6 @@ cgexpr(Cg *c, Node *n, Local *locals)
 		Type *eff = idx_eff(bt);
 		int esz = 1;
 		if (eff && eff->sub) esz = (int)eff->sub->size;
-		/* str element is u8 — size via the type table so #1's
-		 * TY_STR collapse needs no second edit. */
-		if (u && u->kind == TY_STR) esz = (int)ty_u8->size;
 		Type *esub = eff ? eff->sub : NULL;
 		Type *esubu = (esub && esub->kind == TY_NAMED)
 		    ? esub->under : esub;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index 6c628d1f..48a28919 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -11433,9 +11433,14 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		// str element is u8 — size via the type table so #1's
-		// TY_STR collapse needs no second edit. Cite cstage cgen.c
-		// N_INDEX `esz = ty_u8->size`.
+		// str's element is u8 (F1: tystr.sub = tyu8), named directly
+		// rather than read off str.sub because elemsizeof gets a raw
+		// N_TNAME at the ident-base index path with no checker-stamped
+		// tinfo — str.sub lives on .type_.sub, unstamped at this site
+		// (cf. cgforrange's `if (sti != nil)` guard). This IS the
+		// str.sub-equivalent; the structural collapse onto str.sub is
+		// blocked on tinfo-stamping here, not intent (#24). cstage twin
+		// reads eff->sub->size (cmd/w6c/cgen.c N_INDEX).
 		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
index 5d69602d..1dd09dda 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
@@ -872,9 +872,14 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		// str element is u8 — size via the type table so #1's
-		// TY_STR collapse needs no second edit. Cite cstage cgen.c
-		// N_INDEX `esz = ty_u8->size`.
+		// str's element is u8 (F1: tystr.sub = tyu8), named directly
+		// rather than read off str.sub because elemsizeof gets a raw
+		// N_TNAME at the ident-base index path with no checker-stamped
+		// tinfo — str.sub lives on .type_.sub, unstamped at this site
+		// (cf. cgforrange's `if (sti != nil)` guard). This IS the
+		// str.sub-equivalent; the structural collapse onto str.sub is
+		// blocked on tinfo-stamping here, not intent (#24). cstage twin
+		// reads eff->sub->size (cmd/w6c/cgen.c N_INDEX).
 		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index df74e2c0..56741412 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -11433,9 +11433,14 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		// str element is u8 — size via the type table so #1's
-		// TY_STR collapse needs no second edit. Cite cstage cgen.c
-		// N_INDEX `esz = ty_u8->size`.
+		// str's element is u8 (F1: tystr.sub = tyu8), named directly
+		// rather than read off str.sub because elemsizeof gets a raw
+		// N_TNAME at the ident-base index path with no checker-stamped
+		// tinfo — str.sub lives on .type_.sub, unstamped at this site
+		// (cf. cgforrange's `if (sti != nil)` guard). This IS the
+		// str.sub-equivalent; the structural collapse onto str.sub is
+		// blocked on tinfo-stamping here, not intent (#24). cstage twin
+		// reads eff->sub->size (cmd/w6c/cgen.c N_INDEX).
 		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);