diff --git a/compiler/expressions.go b/compiler/expressions.go
index 1d86174ce..fa71a4912 100644
--- a/compiler/expressions.go
+++ b/compiler/expressions.go
@@ -768,6 +768,9 @@ func (fc *funcContext) translateExpr(expr ast.Expr) *expression {
 			if typesutil.IsJsObject(exprType) {
 				return fc.formatExpr("null")
 			}
+			if typesutil.IsGeneric(exprType) {
+				return fc.formatExpr("%s.zero()", fc.typeName(exprType))
+			}
 			switch t := exprType.Underlying().(type) {
 			case *types.Basic:
 				if t.Kind() != types.UnsafePointer {
diff --git a/compiler/package.go b/compiler/package.go
index 7838e8eb3..af72e9c86 100644
--- a/compiler/package.go
+++ b/compiler/package.go
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ func Compile(importPath string, files []*ast.File, fileSet *token.FileSet, impor
 			d.DeclCode = funcCtx.CatchOutput(0, func() {
 				typeName := funcCtx.objectName(o)
 				lhs := typeName
-				if typeVarLevel(o) == varPackage {
+				if getVarLevel(o) == varPackage {
 					lhs += " = $pkg." + encodeIdent(o.Name())
 				}
 				size := int64(0)
diff --git a/compiler/utils.go b/compiler/utils.go
index 51cd85773..fd724b0f8 100644
--- a/compiler/utils.go
+++ b/compiler/utils.go
@@ -368,8 +368,17 @@ func isVarOrConst(o types.Object) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func typeVarLevel(o types.Object) varLevel {
-	if _, ok := o.Type().(*types.TypeParam); ok {
+func isTypeParameterName(o types.Object) bool {
+	_, isTypeName := o.(*types.TypeName)
+	_, isTypeParam := o.Type().(*types.TypeParam)
+	return isTypeName && isTypeParam
+}
+
+// getVarLevel returns at which level a JavaScript variable for the given object
+// should be defined. The object can represent any named Go object: variable,
+// type, function, etc.
+func getVarLevel(o types.Object) varLevel {
+	if isTypeParameterName(o) {
 		return varGenericFactory
 	}
 	if o.Parent() != nil && o.Parent().Parent() == types.Universe {
@@ -381,7 +390,7 @@ func typeVarLevel(o types.Object) varLevel {
 // objectName returns a JS identifier corresponding to the given types.Object.
 // Repeated calls for the same object will return the same name.
 func (fc *funcContext) objectName(o types.Object) string {
-	if typeVarLevel(o) == varPackage {
+	if getVarLevel(o) == varPackage {
 		fc.pkgCtx.dependencies[o] = true
 
 		if o.Pkg() != fc.pkgCtx.Pkg || (isVarOrConst(o) && o.Exported()) {
@@ -391,7 +400,7 @@ func (fc *funcContext) objectName(o types.Object) string {
 
 	name, ok := fc.pkgCtx.objectNames[o]
 	if !ok {
-		name = fc.newVariable(o.Name(), typeVarLevel(o))
+		name = fc.newVariable(o.Name(), getVarLevel(o))
 		fc.pkgCtx.objectNames[o] = name
 	}
 
@@ -402,13 +411,13 @@ func (fc *funcContext) objectName(o types.Object) string {
 }
 
 func (fc *funcContext) varPtrName(o *types.Var) string {
-	if typeVarLevel(o) == varPackage && o.Exported() {
+	if getVarLevel(o) == varPackage && o.Exported() {
 		return fc.pkgVar(o.Pkg()) + "." + o.Name() + "$ptr"
 	}
 
 	name, ok := fc.pkgCtx.varPtrNames[o]
 	if !ok {
-		name = fc.newVariable(o.Name()+"$ptr", typeVarLevel(o))
+		name = fc.newVariable(o.Name()+"$ptr", getVarLevel(o))
 		fc.pkgCtx.varPtrNames[o] = name
 	}
 	return name
diff --git a/tests/gorepo/run.go b/tests/gorepo/run.go
index 3308ea5df..1ead4216e 100644
--- a/tests/gorepo/run.go
+++ b/tests/gorepo/run.go
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ func (t *test) run() {
 		supportedArgs := []string{}
 		for _, a := range args {
 			switch a {
-			case "-gcflags=-G=3":
+			case "-gcflags=-G=3", `-gcflags="-G=3"`:
 				continue
 			default:
 				supportedArgs = append(supportedArgs, a)