diff --git a/elab_type.cc b/elab_type.cc
index 4641b1507..ae9b5f39a 100644
--- a/elab_type.cc
+++ b/elab_type.cc
@@ -158,6 +158,18 @@ ivl_type_s* parray_type_t::elaborate_type_raw(Design*des, NetScope*scope) const
       if (dims.get())
 	    evaluate_ranges(des, scope, this, packed, *dims);
 
+      if (base_type->figure_packed_base_type() == IVL_VT_NO_TYPE) {
+		cerr << this->get_fileline() << " error: Packed array ";
+		if (!name.nil())
+		      cerr << "`" << name << "` ";
+		cerr << "base-type `";
+		if (base_type->name.nil())
+		      cerr << *base_type;
+		else
+		      cerr << base_type->name;
+		cerr << "` is not packed." << endl;
+		des->errors++;
+      }
       ivl_type_t etype = base_type->elaborate_type(des, scope);
 
       return new netparray_t(packed, etype);
diff --git a/pform.cc b/pform.cc
index 65fe6ebcb..5aa4eb4ef 100644
--- a/pform.cc
+++ b/pform.cc
@@ -3549,9 +3549,6 @@ static void pform_set_integer_2atom(const struct vlltype&li, uint64_t width, boo
 template <class T> static void pform_set2_data_type(const struct vlltype&li, T*data_type, perm_string name, NetNet::Type net_type, list<named_pexpr_t>*attr)
 {
       ivl_variable_type_t base_type = data_type->figure_packed_base_type();
-      if (base_type == IVL_VT_NO_TYPE) {
-	    VLerror(li, "Compound type is not PACKED in this context.");
-      }
 
       PWire*net = pform_get_make_wire_in_scope(li, name, net_type, NetNet::NOT_A_PORT, base_type);
       assert(net);