diff --git a/lib/std/zig/AstGen.zig b/lib/std/zig/AstGen.zig
index 304c3f6523..a7e5230e07 100644
--- a/lib/std/zig/AstGen.zig
+++ b/lib/std/zig/AstGen.zig
@@ -2728,7 +2728,7 @@ fn addEnsureResult(gz: *GenZir, maybe_unused_result: Zir.Inst.Ref, statement: As
             .elem_ptr,
             .elem_val,
             .elem_ptr_node,
-            .elem_val_node,
+            .elem_ptr_load,
             .elem_val_imm,
             .field_ptr,
             .field_ptr_load,
@@ -6210,14 +6210,14 @@ fn arrayAccess(
         },
         else => {
             const lhs_node, const rhs_node = tree.nodeData(node).node_and_node;
-            const lhs = try expr(gz, scope, .{ .rl = .none }, lhs_node);
+            const lhs = try expr(gz, scope, .{ .rl = .ref }, lhs_node);
 
             const cursor = maybeAdvanceSourceCursorToMainToken(gz, node);
 
             const rhs = try expr(gz, scope, .{ .rl = .{ .coerced_ty = .usize_type } }, rhs_node);
             try emitDbgStmt(gz, cursor);
 
-            return rvalue(gz, ri, try gz.addPlNode(.elem_val_node, node, Zir.Inst.Bin{ .lhs = lhs, .rhs = rhs }), node);
+            return rvalue(gz, ri, try gz.addPlNode(.elem_ptr_load, node, Zir.Inst.Bin{ .lhs = lhs, .rhs = rhs }), node);
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/std/zig/Zir.zig b/lib/std/zig/Zir.zig
index 3028426665..8d57dbda7a 100644
--- a/lib/std/zig/Zir.zig
+++ b/lib/std/zig/Zir.zig
@@ -441,12 +441,17 @@ pub const Inst = struct {
         /// Payload is `Bin`.
         /// No OOB safety check is emitted.
         elem_ptr,
-        /// Given an array, slice, or pointer, returns the element at the provided index.
+        /// Given a pointer to an array, slice, or pointer, loads the element
+        /// at the provided index.
+        ///
         /// Uses the `pl_node` union field. AST node is a[b] syntax. Payload is `Bin`.
-        elem_val_node,
-        /// Same as `elem_val_node` but used only for for loop.
-        /// Uses the `pl_node` union field. AST node is the condition of a for loop.
-        /// Payload is `Bin`.
+        elem_ptr_load,
+        /// Given an array, slice, or pointer, returns the element at the
+        /// provided index.
+        ///
+        /// Uses the `pl_node` union field. AST node is the condition of a for
+        /// loop. Payload is `Bin`.
+        ///
         /// No OOB safety check is emitted.
         elem_val,
         /// Same as `elem_val` but takes the index as an immediate value.
@@ -1146,7 +1151,7 @@ pub const Inst = struct {
                 .elem_ptr,
                 .elem_val,
                 .elem_ptr_node,
-                .elem_val_node,
+                .elem_ptr_load,
                 .elem_val_imm,
                 .ensure_result_used,
                 .ensure_result_non_error,
@@ -1440,7 +1445,7 @@ pub const Inst = struct {
                 .elem_ptr,
                 .elem_val,
                 .elem_ptr_node,
-                .elem_val_node,
+                .elem_ptr_load,
                 .elem_val_imm,
                 .field_ptr,
                 .field_ptr_load,
@@ -1687,7 +1692,7 @@ pub const Inst = struct {
                 .elem_ptr = .pl_node,
                 .elem_ptr_node = .pl_node,
                 .elem_val = .pl_node,
-                .elem_val_node = .pl_node,
+                .elem_ptr_load = .pl_node,
                 .elem_val_imm = .elem_val_imm,
                 .ensure_result_used = .un_node,
                 .ensure_result_non_error = .un_node,
@@ -4223,7 +4228,7 @@ fn findTrackableInner(
         .div,
         .elem_ptr_node,
         .elem_ptr,
-        .elem_val_node,
+        .elem_ptr_load,
         .elem_val,
         .elem_val_imm,
         .ensure_result_used,
diff --git a/src/Sema.zig b/src/Sema.zig
index 4e0167180e..b6252551ae 100644
--- a/src/Sema.zig
+++ b/src/Sema.zig
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ fn analyzeBodyInner(
             .elem_ptr                     => try sema.zirElemPtr(block, inst),
             .elem_ptr_node                => try sema.zirElemPtrNode(block, inst),
             .elem_val                     => try sema.zirElemVal(block, inst),
-            .elem_val_node                => try sema.zirElemValNode(block, inst),
+            .elem_ptr_load                => try sema.zirElemPtrLoad(block, inst),
             .elem_val_imm                 => try sema.zirElemValImm(block, inst),
             .elem_type                    => try sema.zirElemType(block, inst),
             .indexable_ptr_elem_type      => try sema.zirIndexablePtrElemType(block, inst),
@@ -10102,7 +10102,7 @@ fn zirElemVal(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError!Air
     return sema.elemVal(block, src, array, elem_index, src, false);
 }
 
-fn zirElemValNode(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError!Air.Inst.Ref {
+fn zirElemPtrLoad(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError!Air.Inst.Ref {
     const tracy = trace(@src());
     defer tracy.end();
 
@@ -10110,10 +10110,11 @@ fn zirElemValNode(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError
     const src = block.nodeOffset(inst_data.src_node);
     const elem_index_src = block.src(.{ .node_offset_array_access_index = inst_data.src_node });
     const extra = sema.code.extraData(Zir.Inst.Bin, inst_data.payload_index).data;
-    const array = try sema.resolveInst(extra.lhs);
+    const array_ptr = try sema.resolveInst(extra.lhs);
     const uncoerced_elem_index = try sema.resolveInst(extra.rhs);
     const elem_index = try sema.coerce(block, .usize, uncoerced_elem_index, elem_index_src);
-    return sema.elemVal(block, src, array, elem_index, elem_index_src, true);
+    const elem_ptr = try elemPtr(sema, block, src, array_ptr, elem_index, elem_index_src, false, true);
+    return analyzeLoad(sema, block, src, elem_ptr, elem_index_src);
 }
 
 fn zirElemValImm(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError!Air.Inst.Ref {
diff --git a/src/print_zir.zig b/src/print_zir.zig
index 490bba5c19..d263db9f33 100644
--- a/src/print_zir.zig
+++ b/src/print_zir.zig
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ const Writer = struct {
             .memset,
             .memmove,
             .elem_ptr_node,
-            .elem_val_node,
+            .elem_ptr_load,
             .elem_ptr,
             .elem_val,
             .array_type,