diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/admin/client/AsStringFieldEditor.java b/src/java/com/threerings/admin/client/AsStringFieldEditor.java
index b3bec58cc..fa3d07142 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/admin/client/AsStringFieldEditor.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/admin/client/AsStringFieldEditor.java
@@ -73,16 +73,16 @@ public class AsStringFieldEditor extends FieldEditor
         } else if (_field.getType().equals(String.class)) {
             return text;
 
-        } else if (_field.getType().equals(STRING_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+        } else if (_field.getType().equals(String[].class)) {
             return StringUtil.parseStringArray(_value.getText());
 
-        } else if (_field.getType().equals(INT_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+        } else if (_field.getType().equals(int[].class)) {
             return StringUtil.parseIntArray(_value.getText());
             
-        } else if (_field.getType().equals(FLOAT_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+        } else if (_field.getType().equals(float[].class)) {
             return StringUtil.parseFloatArray(_value.getText());
 
-        } else if (_field.getType().equals(LONG_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+        } else if (_field.getType().equals(long[].class)) {
             return StringUtil.parseLongArray(_value.getText());
             
         } else if (_field.getType().equals(Boolean.TYPE)) {
@@ -102,9 +102,4 @@ public class AsStringFieldEditor extends FieldEditor
     }
 
     protected JTextField _value;
-
-    protected static final String[] STRING_ARRAY_PROTO = new String[0];
-    protected static final int[] INT_ARRAY_PROTO = new int[0];
-    protected static final float[] FLOAT_ARRAY_PROTO = new float[0];
-    protected static final long[] LONG_ARRAY_PROTO = new long[0];
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/admin/server/ConfigRegistry.java b/src/java/com/threerings/admin/server/ConfigRegistry.java
index cd3c540ac..e75e91913 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/admin/server/ConfigRegistry.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/admin/server/ConfigRegistry.java
@@ -240,19 +240,19 @@ public abstract class ConfigRegistry
                     String defval = (String)field.get(object);
                     field.set(object, getValue(key, defval));
 
-                } else if (type.equals(INT_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+                } else if (type.equals(int[].class)) {
                     int[] defval = (int[])field.get(object);
                     field.set(object, getValue(key, defval));
 
-                } else if (type.equals(FLOAT_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+                } else if (type.equals(float[].class)) {
                     float[] defval = (float[])field.get(object);
                     field.set(object, getValue(key, defval));
 
-                } else if (type.equals(STRING_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+                } else if (type.equals(String[].class)) {
                     String[] defval = (String[])field.get(object);
                     field.set(object, getValue(key, defval));
 
-                } else if (type.equals(LONG_ARRAY_PROTO.getClass())) {
+                } else if (type.equals(long[].class)) {
                     long[] defval = (long[])field.get(object);
                     field.set(object, getValue(key, defval));
 
@@ -367,9 +367,4 @@ public abstract class ConfigRegistry
     /** A mapping from identifying key to config object. */
     protected HashMap<String,ObjectRecord> _configs =
         new HashMap<String,ObjectRecord>();
-
-    protected static final int[] INT_ARRAY_PROTO = new int[0];
-    protected static final float[] FLOAT_ARRAY_PROTO = new float[0];
-    protected static final String[] STRING_ARRAY_PROTO = new String[0];
-    protected static final long[] LONG_ARRAY_PROTO = new long[0];
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/io/BasicStreamers.java b/src/java/com/threerings/io/BasicStreamers.java
index 32bf3ca40..6debd5830 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/io/BasicStreamers.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/io/BasicStreamers.java
@@ -41,15 +41,15 @@ public class BasicStreamers
         Float.class,
         Double.class,
         String.class,
-        (new boolean[0]).getClass(),
-        (new byte[0]).getClass(),
-        (new short[0]).getClass(),
-        (new char[0]).getClass(),
-        (new int[0]).getClass(),
-        (new long[0]).getClass(),
-        (new float[0]).getClass(),
-        (new double[0]).getClass(),
-        (new Object[0]).getClass(),
+        boolean[].class,
+        byte[].class,
+        short[].class,
+        char[].class,
+        int[].class,
+        long[].class,
+        float[].class,
+        double[].class,
+        Object[].class,
     };
 
     /** An array of instances of all of the basic streamers. */
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java b/src/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
index 22cbf5a9b..88315712e 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
         // informatively if the user attempts to store non-Streamable
         // objects in that field
         _marshallers.put(Object.class, gmarsh);
-        _marshallers.put((new Object[0]).getClass(), gmarsh);
+        _marshallers.put(Object[].class, gmarsh);
 
         // create marshallers for the primitive types
         _marshallers.put(Boolean.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller() {