diff --git a/src/analyze.cpp b/src/analyze.cpp
index 513ec1cc6c..9fa5409c1e 100644
--- a/src/analyze.cpp
+++ b/src/analyze.cpp
@@ -1342,6 +1342,7 @@ static TypeTableEntry *analyze_container_init_expr(CodeGen *g, ImportTableEntry
     if (container_type->id == TypeTableEntryIdInvalid) {
         return container_type;
     } else if (container_type->id == TypeTableEntryIdStruct &&
+               !container_type->data.structure.is_unknown_size_array &&
                kind == ContainerInitKindStruct)
     {
         StructValExprCodeGen *codegen = &container_init_expr->resolved_struct_val_expr;
@@ -1410,7 +1411,7 @@ static TypeTableEntry *analyze_container_init_expr(CodeGen *g, ImportTableEntry
         }
     } else {
         add_node_error(g, node,
-            buf_sprintf("type '%s' does not support %s syntax",
+            buf_sprintf("type '%s' does not support %s initialization syntax",
                 buf_ptr(&container_type->name), err_container_init_syntax_name(kind)));
         return g->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
     }
diff --git a/test/run_tests.cpp b/test/run_tests.cpp
index d8bb9b51d9..0c6669b8c4 100644
--- a/test/run_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/run_tests.cpp
@@ -1419,6 +1419,10 @@ const b : @typeof(a) = 0;
     add_compile_fail_case("noalias on non pointer param", R"SOURCE(
 fn f(noalias x: i32) => {}
     )SOURCE", 1, ".tmp_source.zig:2:6: error: noalias on non-pointer parameter");
+
+    add_compile_fail_case("struct init syntax for array", R"SOURCE(
+const foo = []u16{.x = 1024,};
+    )SOURCE", 1, ".tmp_source.zig:2:18: error: type '[]u16' does not support struct initialization syntax");
 }
 
 static void print_compiler_invocation(TestCase *test_case) {