diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
index 744ff4d7ce6c..cba884c04b35 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
@@ -2274,6 +2274,31 @@ fn make_free_glue(&@block_ctxt cx, ValueRef v0, &ty::t t) {
     rslt.bcx.build.RetVoid();
 }
 
+fn maybe_free_ivec_heap_part(&@block_ctxt cx, ValueRef v0, ty::t unit_ty)
+        -> result {
+    auto llunitty = type_of_or_i8(cx, unit_ty);
+
+    auto stack_len = cx.build.Load(cx.build.InBoundsGEP(v0, [C_int(0),
+        C_uint(abi::ivec_elt_len)]));
+    auto maybe_on_heap_cx = new_sub_block_ctxt(cx, "maybe_on_heap");
+    auto next_cx = new_sub_block_ctxt(cx, "next");
+    auto maybe_on_heap = cx.build.ICmp(lib::llvm::LLVMIntEQ, stack_len,
+                                       C_int(0));
+    cx.build.CondBr(maybe_on_heap, maybe_on_heap_cx.llbb, next_cx.llbb);
+
+    // Might be on the heap. Load the heap pointer and free it. (It's ok to
+    // free a null pointer.)
+    auto stub_ptr = maybe_on_heap_cx.build.PointerCast(v0,
+        T_ptr(T_ivec_heap(llunitty)));
+    auto heap_ptr = maybe_on_heap_cx.build.Load(
+        maybe_on_heap_cx.build.InBoundsGEP(stub_ptr,
+            [C_int(0), C_uint(abi::ivec_heap_stub_elt_ptr)]));
+    auto after_free_cx = trans_non_gc_free(maybe_on_heap_cx, heap_ptr).bcx;
+    after_free_cx.build.Br(next_cx.llbb);
+
+    ret res(next_cx, C_nil());
+}
+
 fn make_drop_glue(&@block_ctxt cx, ValueRef v0, &ty::t t) {
     // NB: v0 is an *alias* of type t here, not a direct value.
     auto rslt;
@@ -2286,6 +2311,11 @@ fn make_drop_glue(&@block_ctxt cx, ValueRef v0, &ty::t t) {
             rslt = decr_refcnt_maybe_free(cx, v0, v0, t);
         }
 
+        case (ty::ty_ivec(?tm)) {
+            rslt = iter_structural_ty(cx, v0, t, drop_ty);
+            rslt = maybe_free_ivec_heap_part(rslt.bcx, v0, tm.ty);
+        }
+
         case (ty::ty_box(_)) {
             rslt = decr_refcnt_maybe_free(cx, v0, v0, t);
         }
@@ -5885,7 +5915,7 @@ fn trans_ivec(@block_ctxt bcx, &vec[@ast::expr] args, &ast::ann ann)
             llfirsteltptr = C_null(T_ptr(llunitty));
         } else {
             auto llheapsz = bcx.build.Add(llsize_of(llheapty), lllen);
-            rslt = trans_raw_malloc(bcx, llheapty, llheapsz);
+            rslt = trans_raw_malloc(bcx, T_ptr(llheapty), llheapsz);
             bcx = rslt.bcx;
             auto llheapptr = rslt.val;
 
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index 2a879bbfd578..6a7d305fa237 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -527,7 +527,17 @@ mod collect {
     fn ty_of_arg(@ctxt cx, &ast::arg a) -> ty::arg {
         auto ty_mode = ast_mode_to_mode(a.mode);
         auto f = bind getter(cx, _);
-        ret rec(mode=ty_mode, ty=ast_ty_to_ty(cx.tcx, f, a.ty));
+        auto tt = ast_ty_to_ty(cx.tcx, f, a.ty);
+        if (ty::type_has_dynamic_size(cx.tcx, tt)) {
+            alt (ty_mode) {
+                case (mo_val) {
+                    cx.tcx.sess.span_err(a.ty.span,
+                      "Dynamically sized arguments must be passed by alias");
+                }
+                case (_) { }
+            }
+        }
+        ret rec(mode=ty_mode, ty=tt);
     }
 
     fn ty_of_method(@ctxt cx, &@ast::method m) -> ty::method {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/aliasness-mismatch.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/aliasness-mismatch.rs
index 88b7d9385c3a..b4f156c76347 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/aliasness-mismatch.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/aliasness-mismatch.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 // -*- rust -*-
-// xfail-stage0
-
 // error-pattern: mismatched types
 
 fn f(&int x) { log_err x; }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-2.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-2.rs
index c2b156bd8c9c..b3264ab33331 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-2.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-2.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 // -*- rust -*-
-// xfail-stage0
 // Tests that a function with a ! annotation always actually fails
 // error-pattern: some control paths may return
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-3.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-3.rs
index 7538fffa569e..b0701321272b 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-3.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann-3.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 // -*- rust -*-
-// xfail-stage0
 // Tests that a function with a ! annotation always actually fails
 // error-pattern: some control paths may return
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann.rs
index 0b9c3a19cd2f..77c6a4127697 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-bang-ann.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 // -*- rust -*-
-// xfail-stage0
 // Tests that a function with a ! annotation always actually fails
 // error-pattern: may return to the caller
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-expr-path2.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-expr-path2.rs
index 32d655d8485d..e8123f24d5ca 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-expr-path2.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-expr-path2.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: unresolved name: a
 
 mod m1 {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-module.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-module.rs
index 76ba22dcbf9f..111d118a0ee0 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-module.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-module.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: unresolved import: vec
 import vec;
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-name.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-name.rs
index 94de7958376a..a53b8284d59e 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-name.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-name.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
-
 // error-pattern: expecting
 
 fn main() {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/constructor-as-cast.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/constructor-as-cast.rs
index 53d115c788d4..ccc58f1849e8 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/constructor-as-cast.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/constructor-as-cast.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
-// error-pattern: non-type context
+// error-pattern: unresolved name: base
 type base =
   obj {
     fn foo();
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/direct-obj-fn-call.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/direct-obj-fn-call.rs
index 0ffa2887304d..3dd8fe0b62b3 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/direct-obj-fn-call.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/direct-obj-fn-call.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
-
-// error-pattern: is not a mod
+// error-pattern: base type for expr_field
 
 obj x() {
   fn hello() {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/does-nothing.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/does-nothing.rs
index e1a74d36c426..ef7115de02a9 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/does-nothing.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/does-nothing.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
-// error-pattern: does nothing
+// error-pattern: unresolved name: this_does_nothing_what_the
 fn main() {
   log "doing";
   this_does_nothing_what_the;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/duplicate-name.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/duplicate-name.rs
index 7baad6b373f6..c7650aa071c8 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/duplicate-name.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/duplicate-name.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-
 // error-pattern: duplicate value name: x
 
 fn main() {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/export-import.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/export-import.rs
index ad68253360f1..dce1fb02d1c6 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/export-import.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/export-import.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: unresolved import
 
 import m::unexported;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/extfmt-no-args.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/extfmt-no-args.rs
index d31939ead1b2..b3bdf231c9e1 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/extfmt-no-args.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/extfmt-no-args.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern:format string
 
 fn main() {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/for-loop-decl.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/for-loop-decl.rs
index 00da58e17450..2dc8cacc4b2f 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/for-loop-decl.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/for-loop-decl.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ fn bitv_to_str(fn_info enclosing, bitv::t v) -> str {
   // error is that the value type in the hash map is var_info, not a tuple
   for each (@tup(uint, tup(uint, uint)) p in enclosing.vars.items()) {
     if (bitv::get(v, p._1._0)) {
-      s += "foo"; // " " + p._1._1 + " " + "[" + p._0 + "]";
+      s += "foo";
     }
   }
   ret s;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/import.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/import.rs
index da2b587fb715..66c706c1cc1a 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/import.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/import.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: unresolved import: baz
 import zed::bar;
 import zed::baz;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/import3.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/import3.rs
index ceda5e25b45c..bdad6876e8a9 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/import3.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/import3.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: unresolved modulename
 import main::bar;
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/infinite-vec-type-recursion.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/infinite-vec-type-recursion.rs
index 9a2cd3237ba3..418fdb396a8f 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/infinite-vec-type-recursion.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/infinite-vec-type-recursion.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
 // -*- rust -*-
-
-// error-pattern: infinite recursive type definition
+// xfail-stage0
+// error-pattern: illegal recursive type
 
 type x = vec[x];
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/item-name-overload.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/item-name-overload.rs
index 8b99dbbdf969..759747e10089 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/item-name-overload.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/item-name-overload.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-// xfail-stage1
-// xfail-stage2
 // -*- rust -*-
-
-// error-pattern: name
+// xfail-stage0
+// error-pattern: Dynamically sized arguments must be passed by alias
 
 mod foo {
   fn bar[T](T f) -> int { ret 17; }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return.rs
index 4c73a4fd4c9b..34fb4105b8e0 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: return
 
 fn f() -> int {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return2.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return2.rs
index 8baa6a3ac18b..2788f4c16fc0 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return2.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/missing-return2.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
 // error-pattern: return
 
 fn f() -> int {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
index b492f103c203..cc61922f63ae 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-stage0
-
 // error-pattern:cannot determine a type
 fn main() -> () {
   auto foo = [];