diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/array.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/array.v
index 58c01b34a2e2e6..ed54d87696c811 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/array.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/array.v
@@ -20,14 +20,27 @@ fn (mut g Gen) array_init(node ast.ArrayInit, var_name string) {
 		g.writeln('(${shared_styp}*)__dup_shared_array(&(${shared_styp}){.mtx = {0}, .val =')
 	} else if is_amp {
 		array_styp = g.styp(array_type.typ)
-		g.write('HEAP(${array_styp}, ')
+		if node.is_fixed && !g.inside_global_decl {
+			line := g.go_before_last_stmt()
+			tmp_var := g.new_tmp_var()
+			g.write('${array_styp} ${tmp_var} = ')
+			g.fixed_array_init(node, array_type, var_name, is_amp)
+			g.writeln(';')
+			g.write(line)
+
+			g.write('builtin__memdup((void*)&${tmp_var}, sizeof(${array_styp}))')
+		} else {
+			g.write('HEAP(${array_styp}, ')
+		}
 	}
 	len := node.exprs.len
 	elem_sym := g.table.sym(g.unwrap_generic(node.elem_type))
 	if node.is_fixed || array_type.unaliased_sym.kind == .array_fixed {
-		g.fixed_array_init(node, array_type, var_name, is_amp)
-		if is_amp {
-			g.write(')')
+		if !(is_amp && !g.inside_global_decl) {
+			g.fixed_array_init(node, array_type, var_name, is_amp)
+			if is_amp {
+				g.write(')')
+			}
 		}
 	} else if len == 0 {
 		// `[]int{len: 6, cap:10, init:22}`
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/pointers/ref_array_init_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/pointers/ref_array_init_test.v
index 15c28a043f7278..73b66bfb2bfa8a 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/pointers/ref_array_init_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/pointers/ref_array_init_test.v
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 fn test_reference_array_init() {
 	mut b := &[5, 6, 7]
+	assert '${b}' == '&[5, 6, 7]'
+	mut b_fixed := &[5, 6, 7]!
+	assert '${b_fixed}' == '&[5, 6, 7]'
 	{
 		mut a := [1, 2, 3]
 		// TODO: this should probably produce a notice at least,
@@ -7,7 +10,9 @@ fn test_reference_array_init() {
 		// on the stack, that will very soon be out of scope, even
 		// though it is still in the same function:
 		b = &a
+		b_fixed = &[1, 2, 3]!
 	}
 	println(b)
 	assert '${b}' == '&[1, 2, 3]'
+	assert '${b_fixed}' == '&[1, 2, 3]'
 }