diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index cc0e364487..0e089be1ed 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -9682,8 +9682,12 @@ static TypeTableEntry *ir_analyze_instruction_elem_ptr(IrAnalyze *ira, IrInstruc
     if (type_is_invalid(elem_index->value.type))
         return ira->codegen->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
 
-    // This will be a pointer type because elem ptr IR instruction operates on a pointer to a thing.
     TypeTableEntry *ptr_type = array_ptr->value.type;
+    if (ptr_type->id == TypeTableEntryIdMetaType) {
+        ir_add_error(ira, &elem_ptr_instruction->base,
+                buf_sprintf("array access of non-array type '%s'", buf_ptr(&ptr_type->name)));
+        return ira->codegen->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
+    }
     assert(ptr_type->id == TypeTableEntryIdPointer);
 
     TypeTableEntry *array_type = ptr_type->data.pointer.child_type;
diff --git a/test/compile_errors.zig b/test/compile_errors.zig
index 999e1eaa6d..86c6c5cc8b 100644
--- a/test/compile_errors.zig
+++ b/test/compile_errors.zig
@@ -1853,4 +1853,11 @@ pub fn addCases(cases: &tests.CompileErrorContext) {
     ,
         ".tmp_source.zig:3:5: error: float mode set twice for same scope",
         ".tmp_source.zig:2:5: note: first set here");
+
+    cases.add("array access of type",
+        \\export fn foo() {
+        \\    var b: u8[40] = undefined;
+        \\}
+    ,
+        ".tmp_source.zig:2:14: error: array access of non-array type 'type'");
 }