diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
index 595d417d2..5d29fb5bb 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/io/Streamer.as
@@ -145,17 +145,19 @@ public class Streamer
     private static function initStreamers () :void
     {
         if (_streamers == null) {
-            _streamers = [
-                new StringStreamer(),
-                new ArrayStreamer(),
+            // Init like this so that _streamers is not null asap.
+            _streamers = [];
+            // We could add each one by one, so that any later streamers
+            // can find and use the earlier ones as delegates.
+            _streamers.push(new StringStreamer(),
                 new NumberStreamer(),
-                new ByteArrayStreamer(),
                 new ByteStreamer(),
                 new ShortStreamer(),
                 new IntegerStreamer(),
                 new LongStreamer(),
-                new FloatStreamer()
-            ];
+                new FloatStreamer(),
+                new ArrayStreamer(),
+                new ByteArrayStreamer());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/io/streamers/ArrayStreamer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/io/streamers/ArrayStreamer.as
index 3b170a0a1..b0a2de4ab 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/io/streamers/ArrayStreamer.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/io/streamers/ArrayStreamer.as
@@ -26,13 +26,11 @@ public class ArrayStreamer extends Streamer
 
         } else if (secondChar === "L") {
             // form is "[L<class>;"
-            var baseClass :String = jname.substring(2, jname.length - 1);
-            baseClass = Translations.getFromServer(baseClass);
-            _elementType = ClassUtil.getClassByName(baseClass);
+            var baseJClass :String = jname.substring(2, jname.length - 1);
+            _delegate = Streamer.getStreamerByJavaName(baseJClass);
+            _elementType = ClassUtil.getClassByName(
+                Translations.getFromServer(baseJClass));
             _isFinal = ClassUtil.isFinal(_elementType);
-            if (_elementType == String) {
-                _delegate = new StringStreamer();
-            }
 
         } else if (secondChar === "I") {
             _elementType = int;