diff --git a/elab_type.cc b/elab_type.cc
index 413e6f61c..48dd1dcbd 100644
--- a/elab_type.cc
+++ b/elab_type.cc
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@ ivl_type_t 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) {
+      ivl_type_t etype = base_type->elaborate_type(des, scope);
+      if (!etype->packed()) {
 		cerr << this->get_fileline() << " error: Packed array ";
 		if (!name.nil())
 		      cerr << "`" << name << "` ";
@@ -180,7 +181,6 @@ ivl_type_t parray_type_t::elaborate_type_raw(Design*des, NetScope*scope) const
 		cerr << "` is not packed." << endl;
 		des->errors++;
       }
-      ivl_type_t etype = base_type->elaborate_type(des, scope);
 
       return new netparray_t(packed, etype);
 }