diff --git a/library/compiler/alien/primitive-types.factor b/library/compiler/alien/primitive-types.factor
index 7d162ca965..ec064271ee 100644
--- a/library/compiler/alien/primitive-types.factor
+++ b/library/compiler/alien/primitive-types.factor
@@ -110,6 +110,15 @@ USING: alien compiler kernel kernel-internals math namespaces ;
     "unbox_char_string" "unboxer-function" set
 ] "char*" (define-primitive-type)
 
+[
+    [ swap <displaced-alien> alien>char-string ] "getter" set
+    [ swap <displaced-alien> swap set-alien-unsigned-1 ] "setter" set
+    1 "width" set
+    1 "align" set
+    "box_char_array" "boxer-function" set
+    "unbox_char_array" "unboxer-function" set
+] "char[]" (define-primitive-type)
+
 [
     [ alien-unsigned-cell <alien> alien>u16-string ] "getter" set
     [ >r >r alien-address r> r> set-alien-unsigned-cell ] "setter" set
diff --git a/library/compiler/alien/structs.factor b/library/compiler/alien/structs.factor
index b50e090465..09ed26d287 100644
--- a/library/compiler/alien/structs.factor
+++ b/library/compiler/alien/structs.factor
@@ -28,11 +28,16 @@ sequences strings words ;
     "set-" swap append create-in >r c-setter* swap add* r>
     swap define-compound ;
 
+: parse-c-decl ( string -- count name )
+    "[]" split "" swap remove unclip >r dup empty?
+    [ drop 1 ] [ [ string>number ] map product ] if r> over 1 > [ "[]" append ] when ;
+
 : define-field ( offset type name -- offset )
-    >r dup >r c-align align r> r>
+    >r parse-c-decl [ c-align ] keep
+    >r swapd align r> r> 
     "struct-name" get swap "-" swap append3
     3dup define-getter 3dup define-setter
-    drop c-size + ;
+    drop c-size rot * + ;
 
 : define-member ( max type -- max )
     c-size max ;