diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
index 5d29fb5bb..05d1e1625 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ public class Streamer
     public static function getStreamerByJavaName (jname :String) :Streamer
     {
         initStreamers();
+        // unstream lists as simple arrays
+        if (jname == "java.util.List" || jname == "java.util.ArrayList") {
+            jname = "[Ljava.lang.Object;";
+        }
 
         // see if we have a streamer for it
         var streamer :Streamer;
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Translations.as b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Translations.as
index e11ed5ef4..2bebf5ea0 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Translations.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Translations.as
@@ -37,8 +37,5 @@ public class Translations
     addTranslation("Object", "java.lang.Object");
     addTranslation("String", "java.lang.String");
     addTranslation("com.threerings.util.langBoolean", "java.lang.Boolean");
-    // handle lists
-    _fromServer.put("java.util.List", "[Ljava.lang.Object;");
-    _fromServer.put("java.util.ArrayList", "[Ljava.lang.Object;");
 }
 }