diff --git a/src/go/types/expr.go b/src/go/types/expr.go
index 1624858329cbf..461f0a525ba88 100644
--- a/src/go/types/expr.go
+++ b/src/go/types/expr.go
@@ -1125,6 +1125,16 @@ func (check *Checker) exprInternal(x *operand, e ast.Expr, hint Type) exprKind {
 			}
 
 		case *Array:
+			// Prevent crash if the array referred to is not yet set up.
+			// This is a stop-gap solution; a better approach would use the mechanism of
+			// Checker.ident (typexpr.go) using a path of types. But that would require
+			// passing the path everywhere (all expression-checking methods, not just
+			// type expression checking), and we're not set up for that (quite possibly
+			// an indication that cycle detection needs to be rethought). Was issue #18643.
+			if utyp.elem == nil {
+				check.error(e.Pos(), "illegal cycle in type declaration")
+				goto Error
+			}
 			n := check.indexedElts(e.Elts, utyp.elem, utyp.len)
 			// If we have an "open" [...]T array, set the length now that we know it
 			// and record the type for [...] (usually done by check.typExpr which is
@@ -1135,9 +1145,21 @@ func (check *Checker) exprInternal(x *operand, e ast.Expr, hint Type) exprKind {
 			}
 
 		case *Slice:
+			// Prevent crash if the slice referred to is not yet set up.
+			// See analogous comment for *Array.
+			if utyp.elem == nil {
+				check.error(e.Pos(), "illegal cycle in type declaration")
+				goto Error
+			}
 			check.indexedElts(e.Elts, utyp.elem, -1)
 
 		case *Map:
+			// Prevent crash if the map referred to is not yet set up.
+			// See analogous comment for *Array.
+			if utyp.key == nil || utyp.elem == nil {
+				check.error(e.Pos(), "illegal cycle in type declaration")
+				goto Error
+			}
 			visited := make(map[interface{}][]Type, len(e.Elts))
 			for _, e := range e.Elts {
 				kv, _ := e.(*ast.KeyValueExpr)
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/cycles.src b/src/go/types/testdata/cycles.src
index 621d83c9450a0..b4bd5d8b15769 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/cycles.src
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/cycles.src
@@ -140,4 +140,13 @@ func (*T12) m() {}
 type (
 	P3 *T13
 	T13 /* ERROR cycle */ T13
-)
\ No newline at end of file
+)
+
+// test cases for issue 18643
+// (type cycle detection when non-type expressions are involved)
+type (
+	T14 [len(T14 /* ERROR cycle */ {})]int
+	T15 [][len(T15 /* ERROR cycle */ {})]int
+	T16 map[[len(T16 /* ERROR cycle */ {1:2})]int]int
+	T17 map[int][len(T17 /* ERROR cycle */ {1:2})]int
+)