diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/fmt.c b/src/cmd/gc/fmt.c
index 5d37ac0fd5..64eb196928 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/fmt.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/fmt.c
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ exprfmt(Fmt *f, Node *n, int prec)
 		return fmtprint(f, "(%N{ %,H })", n->right, n->list);
 
 	case OPTRLIT:
-		if(fmtmode == FExp && n->left->implicit)
+		if(fmtmode == FExp)  // handle printing of '&' below.
 			return fmtprint(f, "%N", n->left);
 		return fmtprint(f, "&%N", n->left);
 
@@ -1214,6 +1214,8 @@ exprfmt(Fmt *f, Node *n, int prec)
 		if(fmtmode == FExp) {   // requires special handling of field names
 			if(n->implicit)
 				fmtstrcpy(f, "{");
+			else if(n->right->implicit)
+				fmtprint(f, "&%T{", n->type);
 			else
 				fmtprint(f, "(%T{", n->type);
 			for(l=n->list; l; l=l->next) {
@@ -1224,7 +1226,7 @@ exprfmt(Fmt *f, Node *n, int prec)
 				else
 					fmtstrcpy(f, " ");
 			}
-			if(!n->implicit)
+			if(!n->implicit && !n->right->implicit)
 				return fmtstrcpy(f, "})");
 			return fmtstrcpy(f, "}");
 		}
@@ -1236,6 +1238,8 @@ exprfmt(Fmt *f, Node *n, int prec)
 			return fmtprint(f, "%T literal", n->type);
 		if(fmtmode == FExp && n->implicit)
 			return fmtprint(f, "{ %,H }", n->list);
+		if(fmtmode == FExp && n->right->implicit)
+			return fmtprint(f, "&%T{ %,H }", n->type, n->list);
 		return fmtprint(f, "(%T{ %,H })", n->type, n->list);
 
 	case OKEY:
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c b/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
index ac90baafd2..63ad4a92eb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/typecheck.c
@@ -2354,13 +2354,12 @@ typecheckcomplit(Node **np)
 			yyerror("invalid pointer type %T for composite literal (use &%T instead)", t, t->type);
 			goto error;
 		}
-		
 		// Also, the underlying type must be a struct, map, slice, or array.
 		if(!iscomptype(t)) {
 			yyerror("invalid pointer type %T for composite literal", t);
 			goto error;
 		}
-		t = t->type;		
+		t = t->type;
 	}
 
 	switch(t->etype) {
@@ -2414,6 +2413,9 @@ typecheckcomplit(Node **np)
 		if(t->bound < 0)
 			n->right = nodintconst(len);
 		n->op = OARRAYLIT;
+		// restore implicitness.
+		if(isptr[n->type->etype])
+			n->right->implicit = 1;
 		break;
 
 	case TMAP:
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/a.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/a.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ee7c48604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/a.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package a
+
+import (
+	"unsafe"
+)
+
+type Collection struct {
+	root unsafe.Pointer
+}
+
+type nodeLoc struct{}
+
+type slice []int
+
+type maptype map[int]int
+
+func MakePrivateCollection() *Collection {
+	return &Collection{
+		root: unsafe.Pointer(&nodeLoc{}),
+	}
+}
+
+func MakePrivateCollection2() *Collection {
+	return &Collection{
+		root: unsafe.Pointer(&slice{}),
+	}
+}
+func MakePrivateCollection3() *Collection {
+	return &Collection{
+		root: unsafe.Pointer(&maptype{}),
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/b.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/b.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8fb5693db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.dir/b.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package b
+
+import "./a"
+
+func F() {
+      a.MakePrivateCollection()
+      a.MakePrivateCollection2()
+      a.MakePrivateCollection3()
+}
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..842c8117ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue4879.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// compiledir
+
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Issue 4879: export data misses the '&' for some
+// composite literals in inlined bodies.
+
+package ignored