diff --git a/tools/widl/parser.y b/tools/widl/parser.y
index df3d78f567c..f35d671716b 100644
--- a/tools/widl/parser.y
+++ b/tools/widl/parser.y
@@ -1622,11 +1622,11 @@ static var_t *declare_var(attr_list_t *attrs, decl_spec_t *decl_spec, const decl
           error_loc("%s: cannot specify size_is for an already sized array\n", v->name);
         else
           *ptype = type_new_array((*ptype)->name,
-                                  type_array_get_element_type(*ptype), FALSE,
+                                  type_array_get_element(*ptype), FALSE,
                                   0, dim, NULL, FC_RP);
       }
       else if (is_ptr(*ptype))
-        *ptype = type_new_array((*ptype)->name, type_pointer_get_ref_type(*ptype), TRUE,
+        *ptype = type_new_array((*ptype)->name, type_pointer_get_ref(*ptype), TRUE,
                                 0, dim, NULL, pointer_default);
       else
         error_loc("%s: size_is attribute applied to illegal type\n", v->name);
@@ -1648,7 +1648,7 @@ static var_t *declare_var(attr_list_t *attrs, decl_spec_t *decl_spec, const decl
       if (is_array(*ptype))
       {
         *ptype = type_new_array((*ptype)->name,
-                                type_array_get_element_type(*ptype),
+                                type_array_get_element(*ptype),
                                 type_array_is_decl_as_ptr(*ptype),
                                 type_array_get_dim(*ptype),
                                 type_array_get_conformance(*ptype),
@@ -1802,8 +1802,8 @@ static declarator_t *make_declarator(var_t *var)
 
 static type_t *make_safearray(type_t *type)
 {
-  return type_new_array(NULL, type_new_alias(type, "SAFEARRAY"), TRUE, 0,
-                        NULL, NULL, FC_RP);
+    const decl_spec_t ds = {.type = type_new_alias(type, "SAFEARRAY")};
+    return type_new_array(NULL, &ds, TRUE, 0, NULL, NULL, FC_RP);
 }
 
 static typelib_t *make_library(const char *name, const attr_list_t *attrs)
diff --git a/tools/widl/typetree.c b/tools/widl/typetree.c
index ae3f3754502..3e9ac89ad9b 100644
--- a/tools/widl/typetree.c
+++ b/tools/widl/typetree.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ type_t *type_new_coclass(char *name)
 }
 
 
-type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, type_t *element, int declptr,
+type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, const decl_spec_t *element, int declptr,
                        unsigned int dim, expr_t *size_is, expr_t *length_is,
                        unsigned char ptr_default_fc)
 {
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, type_t *element, int declptr,
         t->details.array.size_is = size_is;
     else
         t->details.array.dim = dim;
-    t->details.array.elem.type = element;
+    if (element)
+        t->details.array.elem = *element;
     t->details.array.ptr_def_fc = ptr_default_fc;
     return t;
 }
diff --git a/tools/widl/typetree.h b/tools/widl/typetree.h
index d5f28fe5906..9453e9d1611 100644
--- a/tools/widl/typetree.h
+++ b/tools/widl/typetree.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ type_t *type_new_function(var_list_t *args);
 type_t *type_new_pointer(unsigned char pointer_default, type_t *ref, attr_list_t *attrs);
 type_t *type_new_alias(type_t *t, const char *name);
 type_t *type_new_module(char *name);
-type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, type_t *element, int declptr,
+type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, const decl_spec_t *element, int declptr,
                        unsigned int dim, expr_t *size_is, expr_t *length_is,
                        unsigned char ptr_default_fc);
 type_t *type_new_basic(enum type_basic_type basic_type);