diff --git a/base/array.jl b/base/array.jl
index 75824fe94f994..c76e0a38d4509 100644
--- a/base/array.jl
+++ b/base/array.jl
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ end
 
 function setindex!{T}(A::Array{T}, X::Array{T}, I::Range1{Int})
     if length(X) != length(I)
-        error("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(I)) destinations");
+        throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (I,))
     end
     copy!(A, first(I), X, 1, length(I))
     return A
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ end
 
 function setindex!{T<:Real}(A::Array, X::AbstractArray, I::AbstractVector{T})
     if length(X) != length(I)
-        error("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(I)) destinations");
+        throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (I,))
     end
     count = 1
     if is(X,A)
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ function setindex!{T<:Real}(A::Array, x, i::Real, J::AbstractVector{T})
     else
         X = x
         if length(X) != length(J)
-            error("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(J)) destinations");
+            throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,J))
         end
         count = 1
         for j in J
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ function setindex!{T<:Real}(A::Array, x, I::AbstractVector{T}, j::Real)
     else
         X = x
         if length(X) != length(I)
-            error("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(I)) destinations");
+            throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (I,j))
         end
         count = 1
         for i in I
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ function setindex!{T}(A::Array{T}, X::Array{T}, I::Range1{Int}, j::Real)
     j = to_index(j)
     checkbounds(A, I, j)
     if length(X) != length(I)
-        error("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(I)) destinations");
+        throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (I,j))
     end
     unsafe_copy!(A, first(I) + (j-1)*size(A,1), X, 1, length(I))
     return A
@@ -512,11 +512,7 @@ end
 
 function setindex!{T}(A::Array{T}, X::Array{T}, I::Range1{Int}, J::Range1{Int})
     checkbounds(A, I, J)
-    nel = length(I)*length(J)
-    if length(X) != nel ||
-        (ndims(X) > 1 && (size(X,1)!=length(I) || size(X,2)!=length(J)))
-        error("tried to assign $(size(X,1)) x $(size(X,2)) Array to $(length(I)) x $(length(J)) destination");
-    end
+    setindex_shape_check(X, I, J)
     if length(I) == size(A,1)
         unsafe_copy!(A, first(I) + (first(J)-1)*size(A,1), X, 1, size(A,1)*length(J))
     else
@@ -531,11 +527,7 @@ end
 
 function setindex!{T}(A::Array{T}, X::Array{T}, I::Range1{Int}, J::AbstractVector{Int})
     checkbounds(A, I, J)
-    nel = length(I)*length(J)
-    if length(X) != nel ||
-        (ndims(X) > 1 && (size(X,1)!=length(I) || size(X,2)!=length(J)))
-        error("tried to assign $(size(X)) Array to ($(length(I)),$(length(J))) destination");
-    end
+    setindex_shape_check(X, I, J)
     refoffset = 1
     for j = J
         unsafe_copy!(A, first(I) + (j-1)*size(A,1), X, refoffset, length(I))
@@ -556,11 +548,7 @@ function setindex!{T<:Real}(A::Array, x, I::AbstractVector{T}, J::AbstractVector
         end
     else
         X = x
-        nel = length(I)*length(J)
-        if length(X) != nel ||
-            (ndims(X) > 1 && (size(X,1)!=length(I) || size(X,2)!=length(J)))
-            error("tried to assign $(size(X,1)) x $(size(X,2)) Array to $(length(I)) x $(length(J)) destination");
-        end
+        setindex_shape_check(X, I, J)
         count = 1
         for j in J
             offset = (j-1)*m
@@ -593,20 +581,7 @@ function setindex!(A::Array, x, I::Union(Real,AbstractArray)...)
             assign_cache = Dict()
         end
         X = x
-        nel = 1
-        for idx in I
-            nel *= length(idx)
-        end
-        if length(X) != nel
-            throw(DimensionMismatch(""))
-        end
-        if ndims(X) > 1
-            for i = 1:length(I)
-                if size(X,i) != length(I[i])
-                    throw(DimensionMismatch(""))
-                end
-            end
-        end
+        setindex_shape_check(X, I...)
         gen_array_index_map(assign_cache, storeind -> quote
                               A[$storeind] = X[refind]
                               refind += 1
diff --git a/base/client.jl b/base/client.jl
index 8e986958f4ddf..2b7c55dce17e3 100644
--- a/base/client.jl
+++ b/base/client.jl
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ function repl_callback(ast::ANY, show_value)
     put(repl_channel, (ast, show_value))
 end
 
+_eval_done = Condition()
+
 function run_repl()
     global const repl_channel = RemoteRef()
 
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ function run_repl()
             read(STDIN, buf)
             ccall(:jl_read_buffer,Void,(Ptr{Void},Cssize_t),buf,1)
             if _repl_enough_stdin
-                yield()
+                wait(_eval_done)
             end
         end
         put(repl_channel,(nothing,-1))
@@ -175,6 +177,7 @@ function run_repl()
             break
         end
         eval_user_input(ast, show_value!=0)
+        notify(_eval_done)
     end
 
     if have_color
diff --git a/base/operators.jl b/base/operators.jl
index cf87ef12781d4..dc38a2d083426 100644
--- a/base/operators.jl
+++ b/base/operators.jl
@@ -205,24 +205,77 @@ end
 index_shape(I::Real...) = ()
 index_shape(i, I...) = tuple(length(i), index_shape(I...)...)
 
+function throw_setindex_mismatch(X, I)
+    if length(I) == 1
+        e = DimensionMismatch("tried to assign $(length(X)) elements to $(length(I[1])) destinations")
+    else
+        e = DimensionMismatch("tried to assign $(dims2string(size(X))) array to $(dims2string(map(length,I))) destination")
+    end
+    throw(e)
+end
+
 # check for valid sizes in A[I...] = X where X <: AbstractArray
+# we want to allow dimensions that are equal up to permutation, but only
+# for permutations that leave array elements in the same linear order.
+# those are the permutations that preserve the order of the non-singleton
+# dimensions.
 function setindex_shape_check(X::AbstractArray, I...)
-    nel = 1
-    for idx in I
-        nel *= length(idx)
-    end
-    if length(X) != nel
-        error("dimensions must match")
-    end
-    if ndims(X) > 1
-        for i = 1:length(I)
-            if size(X,i) != length(I[i])
-                error("dimensions must match")
+    li = ndims(X)
+    lj = length(I)
+    i = j = 1
+    while true
+        ii = size(X,i)
+        jj = length(I[j])::Int
+        if i == li || j == lj
+            while i < li
+                i += 1
+                ii *= size(X,i)
+            end
+            while j < lj
+                j += 1
+                jj *= length(I[j])::Int
             end
+            if ii != jj
+                throw_setindex_mismatch(X, I)
+            end
+            return
+        end
+        if ii == jj
+            i += 1
+            j += 1
+        elseif ii == 1
+            i += 1
+        elseif jj == 1
+            j += 1
+        else
+            throw_setindex_mismatch(X, I)
         end
     end
 end
 
+setindex_shape_check(X::AbstractArray) =
+    (length(X)==1 || throw_setindex_mismatch(X,()))
+
+setindex_shape_check(X::AbstractArray, i) =
+    (length(X)==length(i) || throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,)))
+
+setindex_shape_check{T}(X::AbstractArray{T,1}, i) =
+    (length(X)==length(i) || throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,)))
+
+setindex_shape_check{T}(X::AbstractArray{T,1}, i, j) =
+    (length(X)==length(i)*length(j) || throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,j)))
+
+function setindex_shape_check{T}(X::AbstractArray{T,2}, i, j)
+    li, lj = length(i), length(j)
+    if length(X) != li*lj
+        throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,j))
+    end
+    sx1 = size(X,1)
+    if !(li == 1 || li == sx1 || sx1 == 1)
+        throw_setindex_mismatch(X, (i,j))
+    end
+end
+
 # convert to integer index
 to_index(i)       = i
 to_index(i::Real) = convert(Int, i)
diff --git a/src/ccall.cpp b/src/ccall.cpp
index 01ff9d9e76667..5e2711256819f 100644
--- a/src/ccall.cpp
+++ b/src/ccall.cpp
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ static native_sym_arg_t interpret_symbol_arg(jl_value_t *arg, jl_codectx_t *ctx,
                                "cglobal: first argument not a pointer or valid constant expression",
                                ctx);
         }
-        jl_ptr = emit_unbox(T_size, arg1, ptr_ty);
+        jl_ptr = emit_unbox(T_size, arg1, (jl_value_t*)jl_voidpointer_type);
     }
 
     void *fptr=NULL;
diff --git a/src/cgutils.cpp b/src/cgutils.cpp
index 3baf864618ece..71d8fa48f8688 100644
--- a/src/cgutils.cpp
+++ b/src/cgutils.cpp
@@ -1229,8 +1229,7 @@ static Value *boxed(Value *v,  jl_codectx_t *ctx, jl_value_t *jt)
         Value *tpl = builder.CreateCall(jl_alloc_tuple_func,ConstantInt::get(T_size,n));
         int last_depth = ctx->argDepth;
         make_gcroot(tpl,ctx);
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i)
-        {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
             jl_value_t *jti = jl_tupleref(jt,i);
             Value *vi = emit_tupleref(v,ConstantInt::get(T_size,i+1),jt,ctx);
             emit_tupleset(tpl,ConstantInt::get(T_size,i+1),boxed(vi,ctx,jti),jt,ctx);