diff --git a/xls/dslx/type_system/deduce_expr.cc b/xls/dslx/type_system/deduce_expr.cc
index 99ed56c22c..3400ae03ce 100644
--- a/xls/dslx/type_system/deduce_expr.cc
+++ b/xls/dslx/type_system/deduce_expr.cc
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<ArrayType>> DeduceArrayTypeAnnotation(
 // numbers. This will become more generalized with type inference 2.0.
 static absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<ArrayType>> DeduceArrayInternal(
     const Array* node, DeduceCtx* ctx) {
-  VLOG(5) << "DeduceArray; node: " << node->ToString();
+  VLOG(5) << "DeduceArrayInternal; node: " << node->ToString();
 
   if (node->members().empty()) {
     return DeduceEmptyArray(node, ctx);
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ static absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<ArrayType>> DeduceArrayInternal(
                        DeduceArrayTypeAnnotation(node, ctx));
 
   if (annotated != nullptr) {
+    VLOG(5) << "DeduceArrayInternal; annotated: " << annotated->ToString();
     // If the array type is annotated, as a user convenience, we propagate the
     // element type to bare (unannotated) literal numbers contained in the
     // array.
@@ -206,11 +207,21 @@ static absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<ArrayType>> DeduceArrayInternal(
     }
   }
 
+  std::unique_ptr<Type> inferred_element_type =
+      member_types[0]->CloneToUnique();
+  // Check that we're not making an array of types, as arrays cannot hold types.
+  if (inferred_element_type->IsMeta()) {
+    return TypeInferenceErrorStatus(
+        node->span(), inferred_element_type.get(),
+        "Array element cannot be a metatype because arrays cannot hold types.",
+        ctx->file_table());
+  }
+
   // Check that we're not making a token array, as tokens must not alias, and
   // arrays obscure their provenance as they are aggregate types.
-  if (member_types[0]->HasToken()) {
+  if (inferred_element_type->HasToken()) {
     return TypeInferenceErrorStatus(
-        node->span(), member_types[0].get(),
+        node->span(), inferred_element_type.get(),
         "Types with tokens cannot be placed in arrays.", ctx->file_table());
   }
 
@@ -219,7 +230,7 @@ static absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<ArrayType>> DeduceArrayInternal(
 
   // Try to infer the array type from the first member.
   std::unique_ptr<ArrayType> inferred = std::make_unique<ArrayType>(
-      member_types[0]->CloneToUnique(), member_types_dim);
+      std::move(inferred_element_type), member_types_dim);
 
   if (annotated == nullptr) {
     if (node->has_ellipsis()) {
diff --git a/xls/dslx/type_system/type.cc b/xls/dslx/type_system/type.cc
index 7d3daec657..97d1171e69 100644
--- a/xls/dslx/type_system/type.cc
+++ b/xls/dslx/type_system/type.cc
@@ -856,6 +856,14 @@ absl::StatusOr<TypeDim> TupleType::GetTotalBitCount() const {
 
 // -- ArrayType
 
+ArrayType::ArrayType(std::unique_ptr<Type> element_type, const TypeDim& size)
+    : element_type_(std::move(element_type)), size_(size) {
+  CHECK(!element_type_->IsMeta())
+      << "Array element cannot be a metatype because arrays cannot hold types; "
+         "got: "
+      << element_type_->ToStringInternal(FullyQualify::kNo, nullptr);
+}
+
 absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<Type>> ArrayType::MapSize(
     const std::function<absl::StatusOr<TypeDim>(TypeDim)>& f) const {
   XLS_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(std::unique_ptr<Type> new_element_type,
diff --git a/xls/dslx/type_system/type.h b/xls/dslx/type_system/type.h
index 356d12c248..91cd44a4e2 100644
--- a/xls/dslx/type_system/type.h
+++ b/xls/dslx/type_system/type.h
@@ -751,11 +751,7 @@ class TupleType : public Type {
 // These will nest in the case of multidimensional arrays.
 class ArrayType : public Type {
  public:
-  ArrayType(std::unique_ptr<Type> element_type, const TypeDim& size)
-      : element_type_(std::move(element_type)), size_(size) {
-    CHECK(!element_type_->IsMeta())
-        << element_type_->ToStringInternal(FullyQualify::kNo, nullptr);
-  }
+  ArrayType(std::unique_ptr<Type> element_type, const TypeDim& size);
 
   absl::Status Accept(TypeVisitor& v) const override {
     return v.HandleArray(*this);
diff --git a/xls/dslx/type_system/typecheck_module_test.cc b/xls/dslx/type_system/typecheck_module_test.cc
index 3a2b8d5134..84a12dc729 100644
--- a/xls/dslx/type_system/typecheck_module_test.cc
+++ b/xls/dslx/type_system/typecheck_module_test.cc
@@ -1878,6 +1878,31 @@ fn main() -> u32 {
                HasSubstr("Cannot pass a type as a function argument.")));
 }
 
+TEST(TypecheckTest, InvalidParametricTypeConstantArrayContents) {
+  constexpr std::string_view kImported = R"(
+pub struct MyStruct<A: u32, B: u32> {
+  a: bits[A],
+  b: bits[B],
+}
+)";
+  constexpr std::string_view kProgram = R"(
+import imported;
+
+const MY_ARRAY = imported::MyStruct<u32:4, u32:8>[2]:[
+    imported::MyStruct
+];
+)";
+  auto import_data = CreateImportDataForTest();
+  XLS_ASSERT_OK_AND_ASSIGN(
+      TypecheckedModule module,
+      ParseAndTypecheck(kImported, "imported.x", "imported", &import_data));
+  absl::StatusOr<TypecheckedModule> result =
+      ParseAndTypecheck(kProgram, "fake_main_path.x", "main", &import_data);
+  EXPECT_THAT(result, StatusIs(absl::StatusCode::kInvalidArgument,
+                               HasSubstr("Array element cannot be a metatype")))
+      << result.status();
+}
+
 TEST(TypecheckErrorTest, ArraySizeOfBitsType) {
   EXPECT_THAT(
       Typecheck(R"(