diff --git a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/REPRRegistry.java b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/REPRRegistry.java
index 46e11fa17..ca63d0e2c 100644
--- a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/REPRRegistry.java
+++ b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/REPRRegistry.java
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ private static void addREPR(String name, REPR REPR) {
         addREPR("P6opaque", new P6Opaque());
         addREPR("VMHash", new VMHash());
         addREPR("VMArray", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_i8", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_u8", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_i16", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_u16", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_i32", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_u32", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_i", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_n", new VMArray());
+        addREPR("VMArray_s", new VMArray());
         addREPR("VMIter", new VMIter());
         addREPR("P6str", new P6str());
         addREPR("P6int", new P6int());
diff --git a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/SerializationWriter.java b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/SerializationWriter.java
index c2d6e12c0..164265642 100644
--- a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/SerializationWriter.java
+++ b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/SerializationWriter.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import org.raku.nqp.sixmodel.reprs.CallCapture;
 import org.raku.nqp.sixmodel.reprs.IOHandle;
 import org.raku.nqp.sixmodel.reprs.MultiCache;
+import org.raku.nqp.sixmodel.reprs.VMArrayREPRData;
 
 public class SerializationWriter {
     /* The current version of the serialization format. */
@@ -549,7 +550,45 @@ private void serializeStable(STable st) {
         growToHold(STABLES, STABLES_TABLE_ENTRY_SIZE);
 
         /* Make STables table entry. */
-        outputs[STABLES].putInt(addStringToHeap(st.REPR.name));
+        if (st.REPRData instanceof VMArrayREPRData) {
+            /* Workaround for native arrays. If they end up as VMArray in the
+             * string heap, a plain VMArray will be created in deserialize_stub.
+             * So we cheat and add a suffix to the real REPR name. */
+            String reprNameForSerialization;
+            StorageSpec ss = ((VMArrayREPRData)st.REPRData).ss;
+            switch (ss.boxed_primitive) {
+            case StorageSpec.BP_INT:
+                if (ss.bits == 64)
+                    reprNameForSerialization = "VMArray_i";
+                else if (ss.bits == 8)
+                    reprNameForSerialization = ss.is_unsigned == 0
+                        ? "VMArray_i8"
+                        : "VMArray_u8";
+                else if (ss.bits == 16)
+                    reprNameForSerialization = ss.is_unsigned == 0
+                        ? "VMArray_i16"
+                        : "VMArray_u16";
+                else if (ss.bits == 32)
+                    reprNameForSerialization = ss.is_unsigned == 0
+                        ? "VMArray_i32"
+                        : "VMArray_u32";
+                else
+                    reprNameForSerialization = "VMArray_i";
+                break;
+            case StorageSpec.BP_NUM:
+                reprNameForSerialization = "VMArray_n";
+                break;
+            case StorageSpec.BP_STR:
+                reprNameForSerialization = "VMArray_s";
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw ExceptionHandling.dieInternal(tc, "Invalid REPR data for VMArray");
+            }
+            outputs[STABLES].putInt(addStringToHeap(reprNameForSerialization));
+        }
+        else {
+            outputs[STABLES].putInt(addStringToHeap(st.REPR.name));
+        }
         outputs[STABLES].putInt(outputs[STABLE_DATA].position());
 
         /* Make sure we're going to write to the correct place. */
diff --git a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/reprs/VMArray.java b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/reprs/VMArray.java
index 82aaf4536..68c795d09 100644
--- a/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/reprs/VMArray.java
+++ b/src/vm/jvm/runtime/org/raku/nqp/sixmodel/reprs/VMArray.java
@@ -88,7 +88,43 @@ public void compose(ThreadContext tc, STable st, SixModelObject repr_info) {
     public SixModelObject deserialize_stub(ThreadContext tc, STable st) {
         SixModelObject obj;
         if (st.REPRData == null) {
-            obj = new VMArrayInstance();
+            // Either a real VMArray or REPRData not yet known.
+            switch (st.REPR.name) {
+            case "VMArray":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_i8":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_i8();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_u8":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_u8();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_i16":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_i16();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_u16":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_u16();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_i32":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_i32();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_u32":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_u32();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_i":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_i();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_n":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_n();
+                break;
+            case "VMArray_s":
+                obj = new VMArrayInstance_s();
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw ExceptionHandling.dieInternal(tc, "Invalid REPR name for VMArray");
+            }
+            // Set real REPR name (we cheated during serialization).
+            st.REPR.name = "VMArray";
         }
         else {
             StorageSpec ss = ((VMArrayREPRData)st.REPRData).ss;