diff --git a/src/core/Array.pm b/src/core/Array.pm
index fa776cfc849..22b8019801a 100644
--- a/src/core/Array.pm
+++ b/src/core/Array.pm
@@ -201,7 +201,13 @@ my class Array { # declared in BOOTSTRAP
     proto method new(|) { * }
     multi method new(:$shape!) {
         nqp::if(
-          nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+          nqp::defined($shape),
+          set-shape(self,$shape),
+          nqp::if(
+            Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+            set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+            nqp::create(self)
+          )
         )
     }
     multi method new() {
@@ -209,7 +215,13 @@ my class Array { # declared in BOOTSTRAP
     }
     multi method new(\values, :$shape!) {
         nqp::if(
-          nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+          nqp::defined($shape),
+          set-shape(self,$shape),
+          nqp::if(
+            Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+            set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+            nqp::create(self)
+          )
         ).STORE(values)
     }
     multi method new(\values) {
@@ -217,7 +229,13 @@ my class Array { # declared in BOOTSTRAP
     }
     multi method new(**@values is raw, :$shape!) {
         nqp::if(
-          nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+          nqp::defined($shape),
+          set-shape(self,$shape),
+          nqp::if(
+            Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+            set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+            nqp::create(self)
+          )
         ).STORE(@values)
     }
     multi method new(**@values is raw) {
diff --git a/src/core/ShapedNArray.pm b/src/core/ShapedNArray.pm
index 66ed9b3398f..16f5731c235 100644
--- a/src/core/ShapedNArray.pm
+++ b/src/core/ShapedNArray.pm
@@ -6,13 +6,9 @@
     sub set-shape(\base, \shape) is raw {
         nqp::stmts(
           (my $shape := nqp::decont(nqp::if(
-            Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS(shape.HOW),
-            shape.^elems,
-            nqp::if(
-              nqp::istype(shape,List),
-              shape,
-              shape.list
-            )
+            nqp::istype(shape,List),
+            shape,
+            shape.list
           ))),
           nqp::if(
             (my int $dimensions = $shape.elems),  # reifies
diff --git a/src/core/TypedArray.pm b/src/core/TypedArray.pm
index a97ce0bef24..9922bb5903e 100644
--- a/src/core/TypedArray.pm
+++ b/src/core/TypedArray.pm
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@
         proto method new(|) { * }
         multi method new(:$shape!) {
             set-descriptor(nqp::if(
-              nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+              nqp::defined($shape),
+              set-shape(self,$shape),
+              nqp::if(
+                Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+                set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+                nqp::create(self)
+              )
             ))
         }
         multi method new() {
@@ -13,7 +19,13 @@
         }
         multi method new(\values, :$shape!) {
             set-descriptor(nqp::if(
-              nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+              nqp::defined($shape),
+              set-shape(self,$shape),
+              nqp::if(
+                Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+                set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+                nqp::create(self)
+              )
             )).STORE(values)
         }
         multi method new(\values) {
@@ -21,7 +33,13 @@
         }
         multi method new(**@values is raw, :$shape!) {
             set-descriptor(nqp::if(
-              nqp::defined($shape),set-shape(self,$shape),nqp::create(self)
+              nqp::defined($shape),
+              set-shape(self,$shape),
+              nqp::if(
+                Metamodel::EnumHOW.ACCEPTS($shape.HOW),
+                set-shape(self,$shape.^elems),
+                nqp::create(self)
+              )
             )).STORE(@values)
         }
         multi method new(**@values is raw) {