diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index 84c1ef0e..e3a3c137 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -21544,12 +21544,12 @@ type cgen = struct {
 				// before walking the body.
 	fnret:   *node,	// declared return type of current fn (or nil)
 	looptop: i32,
-	loopendbuf:  *str,	// stack of end labels for break
-	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
+	loopendbuf:  []str,	// stack of end labels for break
+	loopcontbuf: []str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
-	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	yieldbuf:    []str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
 	defertop:    i32,
-	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
+	deferbuf:    []*node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 	// Variadic-call gather state. cgcall bumps this on each gather
 	// emit and uses it to mint `@vararg_d_N` / `@vararg_sl_N` per
 	// callsite; mirrors cstage's mklabel("vararg_d/sl") freshness
@@ -21609,16 +21609,16 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	// persist across cgfn calls within one file. cgfile resets them
 	// at the start of each compilation unit.
 	c.looptop = 0;
-	// #35: per-slot stride is sizeof(str); the bare 16 is the str=16
-	// width and undershoots under str=24, so indices past (LOOP_MAX*16)/24
-	// = 10 would spill into the next amalloc. Bumped to 24/slot; +8/slot
-	// over-alloc under str=16 is harmless under the bump arena.
-	c.loopendbuf  = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
-	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let loopendbuf:  []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopendbuf  = loopendbuf;
+	let loopcontbuf: []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopcontbuf = loopcontbuf;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
-	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let yieldbuf: []str      = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.yieldbuf = yieldbuf;
 	c.defertop = 0;
-	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
+	let deferbuf: []*node    = alloc([], DEFER_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.deferbuf = deferbuf;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
index f98c2d36..d9cf57a5 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
@@ -469,12 +469,12 @@ type cgen = struct {
 				// before walking the body.
 	fnret:   *node,	// declared return type of current fn (or nil)
 	looptop: i32,
-	loopendbuf:  *str,	// stack of end labels for break
-	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
+	loopendbuf:  []str,	// stack of end labels for break
+	loopcontbuf: []str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
-	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	yieldbuf:    []str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
 	defertop:    i32,
-	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
+	deferbuf:    []*node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 	// Variadic-call gather state. cgcall bumps this on each gather
 	// emit and uses it to mint `@vararg_d_N` / `@vararg_sl_N` per
 	// callsite; mirrors cstage's mklabel("vararg_d/sl") freshness
@@ -534,16 +534,16 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	// persist across cgfn calls within one file. cgfile resets them
 	// at the start of each compilation unit.
 	c.looptop = 0;
-	// #35: per-slot stride is sizeof(str); the bare 16 is the str=16
-	// width and undershoots under str=24, so indices past (LOOP_MAX*16)/24
-	// = 10 would spill into the next amalloc. Bumped to 24/slot; +8/slot
-	// over-alloc under str=16 is harmless under the bump arena.
-	c.loopendbuf  = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
-	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let loopendbuf:  []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopendbuf  = loopendbuf;
+	let loopcontbuf: []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopcontbuf = loopcontbuf;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
-	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let yieldbuf: []str      = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.yieldbuf = yieldbuf;
 	c.defertop = 0;
-	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
+	let deferbuf: []*node    = alloc([], DEFER_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.deferbuf = deferbuf;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index 89df55d7..34c8323f 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -21544,12 +21544,12 @@ type cgen = struct {
 				// before walking the body.
 	fnret:   *node,	// declared return type of current fn (or nil)
 	looptop: i32,
-	loopendbuf:  *str,	// stack of end labels for break
-	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
+	loopendbuf:  []str,	// stack of end labels for break
+	loopcontbuf: []str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
-	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	yieldbuf:    []str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
 	defertop:    i32,
-	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
+	deferbuf:    []*node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 	// Variadic-call gather state. cgcall bumps this on each gather
 	// emit and uses it to mint `@vararg_d_N` / `@vararg_sl_N` per
 	// callsite; mirrors cstage's mklabel("vararg_d/sl") freshness
@@ -21609,16 +21609,16 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	// persist across cgfn calls within one file. cgfile resets them
 	// at the start of each compilation unit.
 	c.looptop = 0;
-	// #35: per-slot stride is sizeof(str); the bare 16 is the str=16
-	// width and undershoots under str=24, so indices past (LOOP_MAX*16)/24
-	// = 10 would spill into the next amalloc. Bumped to 24/slot; +8/slot
-	// over-alloc under str=16 is harmless under the bump arena.
-	c.loopendbuf  = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
-	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let loopendbuf:  []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopendbuf  = loopendbuf;
+	let loopcontbuf: []str   = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.loopcontbuf = loopcontbuf;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
-	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 24u64): *str;
+	let yieldbuf: []str      = alloc([], LOOP_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.yieldbuf = yieldbuf;
 	c.defertop = 0;
-	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
+	let deferbuf: []*node    = alloc([], DEFER_MAX: u64)!;
+	c.deferbuf = deferbuf;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for