diff --git a/libguile/bytevectors.c b/libguile/bytevectors.c
index 52b531d02..70663880b 100644
--- a/libguile/bytevectors.c
+++ b/libguile/bytevectors.c
@@ -195,8 +195,6 @@
 #define SCM_BYTEVECTOR_SET_PARENT(_bv, _parent)	\
   SCM_SET_CELL_OBJECT_3 ((_bv), (_parent))
 
-#define SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE(var)                           \
-  (scm_i_array_element_type_sizes[SCM_BYTEVECTOR_ELEMENT_TYPE (var)]/8)
 #define SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPED_LENGTH(var)                        \
   (SCM_BYTEVECTOR_LENGTH (var) / SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE (var))
 
@@ -2129,9 +2127,7 @@ bytevector_ref_c64 (SCM bv, SCM index)
 }
 #undef FUNC_NAME
 
-typedef SCM (*scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn)(SCM, SCM);
-
-static const scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn
+const scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn
 bytevector_ref_fns[SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_LAST + 1] =
 {
   NULL, /* SCM */
@@ -2157,10 +2153,10 @@ bv_handle_ref (scm_t_array_handle *h, size_t index)
 {
   SCM byte_index;
   scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn ref_fn;
-  
+
   ref_fn = bytevector_ref_fns[h->element_type];
   byte_index =
-    scm_from_size_t (index * scm_array_handle_uniform_element_size (h));
+    scm_from_size_t (index * SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE (h->array));
   return ref_fn (h->array, byte_index);
 }
 
@@ -2195,9 +2191,7 @@ bytevector_set_c64 (SCM bv, SCM index, SCM value)
 }
 #undef FUNC_NAME
 
-typedef SCM (*scm_t_bytevector_set_fn)(SCM, SCM, SCM);
-
-const scm_t_bytevector_set_fn bytevector_set_fns[SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_LAST + 1] = 
+const scm_t_bytevector_set_fn bytevector_set_fns[SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_LAST + 1] =
 {
   NULL, /* SCM */
   NULL, /* CHAR */
@@ -2222,10 +2216,10 @@ bv_handle_set_x (scm_t_array_handle *h, size_t index, SCM val)
 {
   SCM byte_index;
   scm_t_bytevector_set_fn set_fn;
-  
+
   set_fn = bytevector_set_fns[h->element_type];
   byte_index =
-    scm_from_size_t (index * scm_array_handle_uniform_element_size (h));
+    scm_from_size_t (index * SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE (h->array));
   set_fn (h->array, byte_index, val);
 }
 
diff --git a/libguile/bytevectors.h b/libguile/bytevectors.h
index a5eeaea0c..f93058977 100644
--- a/libguile/bytevectors.h
+++ b/libguile/bytevectors.h
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ SCM_API SCM scm_utf8_to_string (SCM);
 SCM_API SCM scm_utf16_to_string (SCM, SCM);
 SCM_API SCM scm_utf32_to_string (SCM, SCM);
 
+typedef SCM (*scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn)(SCM, SCM);
+SCM_INTERNAL const scm_t_bytevector_ref_fn
+bytevector_ref_fns[SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_LAST + 1];
+
+typedef SCM (*scm_t_bytevector_set_fn)(SCM, SCM, SCM);
+SCM_INTERNAL const scm_t_bytevector_set_fn
+bytevector_set_fns[SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_LAST + 1];
 
 
 /* Internal API.  */
@@ -128,6 +135,8 @@ SCM_API SCM scm_utf32_to_string (SCM, SCM);
   (SCM_BYTEVECTOR_FLAGS (_bv) & 0xffUL)
 #define SCM_BYTEVECTOR_CONTIGUOUS_P(_bv)	\
   (SCM_BYTEVECTOR_FLAGS (_bv) >> 8UL)
+#define SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE(var)                           \
+  (scm_i_array_element_type_sizes[SCM_BYTEVECTOR_ELEMENT_TYPE (var)]/8)
 
 /* Hint that is passed to `scm_gc_malloc ()' and friends.  */
 #define SCM_GC_BYTEVECTOR "bytevector"
diff --git a/libguile/srfi-4.c b/libguile/srfi-4.c
index c45519b1d..2491284bc 100644
--- a/libguile/srfi-4.c
+++ b/libguile/srfi-4.c
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_make_srfi_4_vector, "make-srfi-4-vector", 2, 1, 0,
     case SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_C32:
     case SCM_ARRAY_ELEMENT_TYPE_C64:
       {
-        SCM ret = scm_i_make_typed_bytevector (scm_to_size_t (len), i);
+        size_t clen = scm_to_size_t (len);
+        SCM ret = scm_i_make_typed_bytevector (clen, i);
 
         if (SCM_UNBNDP (fill) || scm_is_eq (len, SCM_INUM0))
           ; /* pass */
@@ -261,19 +262,12 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_make_srfi_4_vector, "make-srfi-4-vector", 2, 1, 0,
                   SCM_BYTEVECTOR_LENGTH (ret));
         else
           {
-            scm_t_array_handle h;
-            size_t len;
-            ssize_t pos, inc;
-
-            scm_uniform_vector_writable_elements (ret, &h, &len, &inc);
-
-            for (pos = 0; pos != h.dims[0].ubnd; pos += inc)
-              scm_array_handle_set (&h, pos, fill);
-
-	    /* Initialize the last element.  */
-	    scm_array_handle_set (&h, pos, fill);
-
-            scm_array_handle_release (&h);
+            scm_t_bytevector_set_fn set_fn =
+              bytevector_set_fns[SCM_BYTEVECTOR_ELEMENT_TYPE (ret)];
+            size_t step = SCM_BYTEVECTOR_TYPE_SIZE (ret);
+            size_t pos = 0;
+            for (pos = 0, clen *= step; pos < clen; pos += step)
+              set_fn(ret, scm_from_size_t (pos), fill);
           }
         return ret;
       }