diff --git a/src/runtime/os_plan9.go b/src/runtime/os_plan9.go
index 13bc3be4ab..f0e7c6ae70 100644
--- a/src/runtime/os_plan9.go
+++ b/src/runtime/os_plan9.go
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ func exit(e int32) {
 		var tmp [32]byte
 		sl := itoa(tmp[:len(tmp)-1], uint64(e))
 		// Don't append, rely on the existing data being zero.
-		status = tmp[:len(sl)+1]
+		status = sl[:len(sl)+1]
 	}
 	goexitsall(&status[0])
 	exits(&status[0])