diff --git a/basis/math/blas/matrices/matrices.factor b/basis/math/blas/matrices/matrices.factor
index 1882ccd0d5..a7ee79f210 100755
--- a/basis/math/blas/matrices/matrices.factor
+++ b/basis/math/blas/matrices/matrices.factor
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ M: blas-matrix-base clone
 
 ! XXX try rounding stride to next 128 bit bound for better vectorizin'
 : <empty-matrix> ( rows cols exemplar -- matrix )
-    [ element-type [ * ] dip <c-array> ]
+    [ element-type heap-size * * <byte-array> ]
     [ 2drop ]
     [ f swap (blas-matrix-like) ] 3tri ;
 
diff --git a/basis/math/blas/vectors/vectors.factor b/basis/math/blas/vectors/vectors.factor
index 3017a12b18..dd80b50f90 100755
--- a/basis/math/blas/vectors/vectors.factor
+++ b/basis/math/blas/vectors/vectors.factor
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ PRIVATE>
     length v inc>> v (blas-vector-like) ;
 
 : <zero-vector> ( exemplar -- zero )
-    [ element-type <c-object> ]
+    [ element-type heap-size <byte-array> ]
     [ length>> 0 ]
     [ (blas-vector-like) ] tri ;
 
 : <empty-vector> ( length exemplar -- vector )
-    [ element-type <c-array> ]
+    [ element-type heap-size * <byte-array> ]
     [ 1 swap ] 2bi
     (blas-vector-like) ;