diff --git a/src/ccall.cpp b/src/ccall.cpp
index cb069b58c3761..24022ac19c3b5 100644
--- a/src/ccall.cpp
+++ b/src/ccall.cpp
@@ -1123,7 +1123,8 @@ std::string generate_func_sig(const char *fname)
             isboxed = false;
         }
         else {
-            if (jl_is_primitivetype(tti)) {
+            if (jl_is_primitivetype(tti) &&
+                jl_integer_type && jl_subtype(tti, (jl_value_t*)jl_integer_type)) {
                 // see pull req #978. need to annotate signext/zeroext for
                 // small integer arguments.
                 jl_datatype_t *bt = (jl_datatype_t*)tti;
diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index 20f2dfe28165f..6187bf85c9da0 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -7149,7 +7149,8 @@ static jl_returninfo_t get_specsig_function(jl_codectx_t &ctx, Module *M, Value
         else if (isboxed && jl_is_immutable_datatype(jt)) {
             param.addAttribute(Attribute::ReadOnly);
         }
-        else if (jl_is_primitivetype(jt) && ty->isIntegerTy()) {
+        else if (jl_is_primitivetype(jt) && jl_integer_type &&
+                 jl_subtype(jt, (jl_value_t*)jl_integer_type)) {
             bool issigned = jl_signed_type && jl_subtype(jt, (jl_value_t*)jl_signed_type);
             Attribute::AttrKind attr = issigned ? Attribute::SExt : Attribute::ZExt;
             param.addAttribute(attr);
diff --git a/src/jl_exported_data.inc b/src/jl_exported_data.inc
index aa23b9d7b8205..3bb991ae82ecc 100644
--- a/src/jl_exported_data.inc
+++ b/src/jl_exported_data.inc
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     XX(jl_gotoifnot_type) \
     XX(jl_gotonode_type) \
     XX(jl_initerror_type) \
+    XX(jl_integer_type) \
     XX(jl_int16_type) \
     XX(jl_int32_type) \
     XX(jl_int64_type) \
diff --git a/src/jltypes.c b/src/jltypes.c
index 33b52158488a3..8c005f5966d1d 100644
--- a/src/jltypes.c
+++ b/src/jltypes.c
@@ -3409,7 +3409,7 @@ void post_boot_hooks(void)
     jl_number_type  = (jl_datatype_t*)core("Number");
     jl_signed_type  = (jl_datatype_t*)core("Signed");
     jl_datatype_t *jl_unsigned_type = (jl_datatype_t*)core("Unsigned");
-    jl_datatype_t *jl_integer_type = (jl_datatype_t*)core("Integer");
+    jl_integer_type = (jl_datatype_t*)core("Integer");
 
     jl_bool_type->super = jl_integer_type;
     jl_uint8_type->super = jl_unsigned_type;
diff --git a/src/julia.h b/src/julia.h
index a357bdf558360..842bc16068b76 100644
--- a/src/julia.h
+++ b/src/julia.h
@@ -853,6 +853,7 @@ extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_floatingpoint_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_number_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_void_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;  // deprecated
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_nothing_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
+extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_integer_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_signed_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_voidpointer_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
 extern JL_DLLIMPORT jl_datatype_t *jl_uint8pointer_type JL_GLOBALLY_ROOTED;
diff --git a/src/staticdata.c b/src/staticdata.c
index df5652a5719c4..4d1be4bd295e3 100644
--- a/src/staticdata.c
+++ b/src/staticdata.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ extern "C" {
 // TODO: put WeakRefs on the weak_refs list during deserialization
 // TODO: handle finalizers
 
-#define NUM_TAGS    160
+#define NUM_TAGS    161
 
 // An array of references that need to be restored from the sysimg
 // This is a manually constructed dual of the gvars array, which would be produced by codegen for Julia code, for C.
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ jl_value_t **const*const get_tags(void) {
         INSERT_TAG(jl_bfloat16_type);
         INSERT_TAG(jl_floatingpoint_type);
         INSERT_TAG(jl_number_type);
+        INSERT_TAG(jl_integer_type);
         INSERT_TAG(jl_signed_type);
         INSERT_TAG(jl_pair_type);