diff --git a/compiler/asserts.go b/compiler/asserts.go
index 92083bc6..acd605fa 100644
--- a/compiler/asserts.go
+++ b/compiler/asserts.go
@@ -15,22 +15,16 @@ import (
 // createLookupBoundsCheck emits a bounds check before doing a lookup into a
 // slice. This is required by the Go language spec: an index out of bounds must
 // cause a panic.
-func (b *builder) createLookupBoundsCheck(arrayLen, index llvm.Value, indexType types.Type) {
+// The caller should make sure that index is at least as big as arrayLen.
+func (b *builder) createLookupBoundsCheck(arrayLen, index llvm.Value) {
 	if b.info.nobounds {
 		// The //go:nobounds pragma was added to the function to avoid bounds
 		// checking.
 		return
 	}
 
-	if index.Type().IntTypeWidth() < arrayLen.Type().IntTypeWidth() {
-		// Sometimes, the index can be e.g. an uint8 or int8, and we have to
-		// correctly extend that type.
-		if indexType.Underlying().(*types.Basic).Info()&types.IsUnsigned == 0 {
-			index = b.CreateZExt(index, arrayLen.Type(), "")
-		} else {
-			index = b.CreateSExt(index, arrayLen.Type(), "")
-		}
-	} else if index.Type().IntTypeWidth() > arrayLen.Type().IntTypeWidth() {
+	// Extend arrayLen if it's too small.
+	if index.Type().IntTypeWidth() > arrayLen.Type().IntTypeWidth() {
 		// The index is bigger than the array length type, so extend it.
 		arrayLen = b.CreateZExt(arrayLen, index.Type(), "")
 	}
@@ -70,27 +64,9 @@ func (b *builder) createSliceBoundsCheck(capacity, low, high, max llvm.Value, lo
 	}
 
 	// Extend low and high to be the same size as capacity.
-	if low.Type().IntTypeWidth() < capacityType.IntTypeWidth() {
-		if lowType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-			low = b.CreateZExt(low, capacityType, "")
-		} else {
-			low = b.CreateSExt(low, capacityType, "")
-		}
-	}
-	if high.Type().IntTypeWidth() < capacityType.IntTypeWidth() {
-		if highType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-			high = b.CreateZExt(high, capacityType, "")
-		} else {
-			high = b.CreateSExt(high, capacityType, "")
-		}
-	}
-	if max.Type().IntTypeWidth() < capacityType.IntTypeWidth() {
-		if maxType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-			max = b.CreateZExt(max, capacityType, "")
-		} else {
-			max = b.CreateSExt(max, capacityType, "")
-		}
-	}
+	low = b.extendInteger(low, lowType, capacityType)
+	high = b.extendInteger(high, highType, capacityType)
+	max = b.extendInteger(max, maxType, capacityType)
 
 	// Now do the bounds check: low > high || high > capacity
 	outOfBounds1 := b.CreateICmp(llvm.IntUGT, low, high, "slice.lowhigh")
@@ -125,13 +101,7 @@ func (b *builder) createUnsafeSliceCheck(ptr, len llvm.Value, lenType *types.Bas
 	// using an unsiged greater than.
 
 	// Make sure the len value is at least as big as a uintptr.
-	if len.Type().IntTypeWidth() < b.uintptrType.IntTypeWidth() {
-		if lenType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-			len = b.CreateZExt(len, b.uintptrType, "")
-		} else {
-			len = b.CreateSExt(len, b.uintptrType, "")
-		}
-	}
+	len = b.extendInteger(len, lenType, b.uintptrType)
 
 	// Determine the maximum slice size, and therefore the maximum value of the
 	// len parameter.
@@ -159,17 +129,8 @@ func (b *builder) createChanBoundsCheck(elementSize uint64, bufSize llvm.Value,
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Check whether the bufSize parameter must be cast to a wider integer for
-	// comparison.
-	if bufSize.Type().IntTypeWidth() < b.uintptrType.IntTypeWidth() {
-		if bufSizeType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-			// Unsigned, so zero-extend to uint type.
-			bufSize = b.CreateZExt(bufSize, b.intType, "")
-		} else {
-			// Signed, so sign-extend to int type.
-			bufSize = b.CreateSExt(bufSize, b.intType, "")
-		}
-	}
+	// Make sure bufSize is at least as big as maxBufSize (an uintptr).
+	bufSize = b.extendInteger(bufSize, bufSizeType, b.uintptrType)
 
 	// Calculate (^uintptr(0)) >> 1, which is the max value that fits in an
 	// uintptr if uintptrs were signed.
@@ -294,3 +255,19 @@ func (b *builder) createRuntimeAssert(assert llvm.Value, blockPrefix, assertFunc
 	// Ok: assert didn't trigger so continue normally.
 	b.SetInsertPointAtEnd(nextBlock)
 }
+
+// extendInteger extends the value to at least targetType using a zero or sign
+// extend. The resulting value is not truncated: it may still be bigger than
+// targetType.
+func (b *builder) extendInteger(value llvm.Value, valueType types.Type, targetType llvm.Type) llvm.Value {
+	if value.Type().IntTypeWidth() < targetType.IntTypeWidth() {
+		if valueType.Underlying().(*types.Basic).Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
+			// Unsigned, so zero-extend to the target type.
+			value = b.CreateZExt(value, targetType, "")
+		} else {
+			// Signed, so sign-extend to the target type.
+			value = b.CreateSExt(value, targetType, "")
+		}
+	}
+	return value
+}
diff --git a/compiler/compiler.go b/compiler/compiler.go
index c279800c..ae1ba07b 100644
--- a/compiler/compiler.go
+++ b/compiler/compiler.go
@@ -1622,10 +1622,14 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 		array := b.getValue(expr.X)
 		index := b.getValue(expr.Index)
 
+		// Extend index to at least uintptr size, because getelementptr assumes
+		// index is a signed integer.
+		index = b.extendInteger(index, expr.Index.Type(), b.uintptrType)
+
 		// Check bounds.
 		arrayLen := expr.X.Type().Underlying().(*types.Array).Len()
 		arrayLenLLVM := llvm.ConstInt(b.uintptrType, uint64(arrayLen), false)
-		b.createLookupBoundsCheck(arrayLenLLVM, index, expr.Index.Type())
+		b.createLookupBoundsCheck(arrayLenLLVM, index)
 
 		// Can't load directly from array (as index is non-constant), so have to
 		// do it using an alloca+gep+load.
@@ -1666,8 +1670,12 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 			return llvm.Value{}, b.makeError(expr.Pos(), "todo: indexaddr: "+ptrTyp.String())
 		}
 
+		// Make sure index is at least the size of uintptr becuase getelementptr
+		// assumes index is a signed integer.
+		index = b.extendInteger(index, expr.Index.Type(), b.uintptrType)
+
 		// Bounds check.
-		b.createLookupBoundsCheck(buflen, index, expr.Index.Type())
+		b.createLookupBoundsCheck(buflen, index)
 
 		switch expr.X.Type().Underlying().(type) {
 		case *types.Pointer:
@@ -1691,9 +1699,17 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 				panic("lookup on non-string?")
 			}
 
+			// Sometimes, the index can be e.g. an uint8 or int8, and we have to
+			// correctly extend that type for two reasons:
+			//  1. The lookup bounds check expects an index of at least uintptr
+			//     size.
+			//  2. getelementptr has signed operands, and therefore s[uint8(x)]
+			//     can be lowered as s[int8(x)]. That would be a bug.
+			index = b.extendInteger(index, expr.Index.Type(), b.uintptrType)
+
 			// Bounds check.
 			length := b.CreateExtractValue(value, 1, "len")
-			b.createLookupBoundsCheck(length, index, expr.Index.Type())
+			b.createLookupBoundsCheck(length, index)
 
 			// Lookup byte
 			buf := b.CreateExtractValue(value, 0, "")
@@ -1819,13 +1835,7 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 		if expr.Low != nil {
 			lowType = expr.Low.Type().Underlying().(*types.Basic)
 			low = b.getValue(expr.Low)
-			if low.Type().IntTypeWidth() < b.uintptrType.IntTypeWidth() {
-				if lowType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-					low = b.CreateZExt(low, b.uintptrType, "")
-				} else {
-					low = b.CreateSExt(low, b.uintptrType, "")
-				}
-			}
+			low = b.extendInteger(low, lowType, b.uintptrType)
 		} else {
 			lowType = types.Typ[types.Uintptr]
 			low = llvm.ConstInt(b.uintptrType, 0, false)
@@ -1834,13 +1844,7 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 		if expr.High != nil {
 			highType = expr.High.Type().Underlying().(*types.Basic)
 			high = b.getValue(expr.High)
-			if high.Type().IntTypeWidth() < b.uintptrType.IntTypeWidth() {
-				if highType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-					high = b.CreateZExt(high, b.uintptrType, "")
-				} else {
-					high = b.CreateSExt(high, b.uintptrType, "")
-				}
-			}
+			high = b.extendInteger(high, highType, b.uintptrType)
 		} else {
 			highType = types.Typ[types.Uintptr]
 		}
@@ -1848,13 +1852,7 @@ func (b *builder) createExpr(expr ssa.Value) (llvm.Value, error) {
 		if expr.Max != nil {
 			maxType = expr.Max.Type().Underlying().(*types.Basic)
 			max = b.getValue(expr.Max)
-			if max.Type().IntTypeWidth() < b.uintptrType.IntTypeWidth() {
-				if maxType.Info()&types.IsUnsigned != 0 {
-					max = b.CreateZExt(max, b.uintptrType, "")
-				} else {
-					max = b.CreateSExt(max, b.uintptrType, "")
-				}
-			}
+			max = b.extendInteger(max, maxType, b.uintptrType)
 		} else {
 			maxType = types.Typ[types.Uintptr]
 		}
diff --git a/compiler/testdata/string.go b/compiler/testdata/string.go
index 2c37df45..56ad1170 100644
--- a/compiler/testdata/string.go
+++ b/compiler/testdata/string.go
@@ -27,3 +27,8 @@ func stringCompareUnequal(s1, s2 string) bool {
 func stringCompareLarger(s1, s2 string) bool {
 	return s1 > s2
 }
+
+func stringLookup(s string, x uint8) byte {
+	// Test that x is correctly extended to an uint before comparison.
+	return s[x]
+}
diff --git a/compiler/testdata/string.ll b/compiler/testdata/string.ll
index 75812865..5bfe0255 100644
--- a/compiler/testdata/string.ll
+++ b/compiler/testdata/string.ll
@@ -78,4 +78,21 @@ entry:
 
 declare i1 @runtime.stringLess(i8*, i32, i8*, i32, i8*, i8*)
 
+; Function Attrs: nounwind
+define hidden i8 @main.stringLookup(i8* %s.data, i32 %s.len, i8 %x, i8* %context, i8* %parentHandle) unnamed_addr #0 {
+entry:
+  %0 = zext i8 %x to i32
+  %.not = icmp ult i32 %0, %s.len
+  br i1 %.not, label %lookup.next, label %lookup.throw
+
+lookup.throw:                                     ; preds = %entry
+  call void @runtime.lookupPanic(i8* undef, i8* null) #0
+  unreachable
+
+lookup.next:                                      ; preds = %entry
+  %1 = getelementptr inbounds i8, i8* %s.data, i32 %0
+  %2 = load i8, i8* %1, align 1
+  ret i8 %2
+}
+
 attributes #0 = { nounwind }