diff --git a/cmd/w6c/cgen.c b/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
index 420c41a0..266b660e 100644
--- a/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
+++ b/cmd/w6c/cgen.c
@@ -2113,7 +2113,10 @@ cgexpr(Cg *c, Node *n, Local *locals)
 				    ? bt->under : bt;
 				int esz = (bu && bu->sub)
 				    ? (int)bu->sub->size : 1;
-				if (bu && bu->kind == TY_STR) esz = 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),
@@ -6234,7 +6237,9 @@ cgexpr(Cg *c, Node *n, Local *locals)
 		Type *eff = idx_eff(bt);
 		int esz = 1;
 		if (eff && eff->sub) esz = (int)eff->sub->size;
-		if (u && u->kind == TY_STR) esz = 1;
+		/* 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 b98aeca4..8cb708d6 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -11432,7 +11432,10 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return 1; };
+		// 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`.
+		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);
 		if (ps > 0) { return ps; };
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
index bd068c89..c1270f66 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenutil.ww
@@ -872,7 +872,10 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return 1; };
+		// 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`.
+		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);
 		if (ps > 0) { return ps; };
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index 82aedd43..18dfd561 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -11432,7 +11432,10 @@ fn elemsizeof(t: *node) i32 = {
 	if (k == nkind.N_TARRAY) { elem = t.lhs; };
 	if (k == nkind.N_TNAME) {
 		let nm: str = t.str;
-		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return 1; };
+		// 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`.
+		if (streq(nm, "str")) { return primtypesize("u8"): i32; };
 		// Indexing a primitive name (rare): element size = the prim.
 		let ps: i32 = primsize(nm);
 		if (ps > 0) { return ps; };