diff --git a/backends/p4tools/common/core/abstract_execution_state.cpp b/backends/p4tools/common/core/abstract_execution_state.cpp
index fac023cb443..aad8dc3f43c 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/common/core/abstract_execution_state.cpp
+++ b/backends/p4tools/common/core/abstract_execution_state.cpp
@@ -158,11 +158,12 @@ std::vector<IR::StateVariable> AbstractExecutionState::getFlatFields(
         for (size_t arrayIndex = 0; arrayIndex < typeStack->getSize(); arrayIndex++) {
             const auto *newArr =
                 HSIndexToMember::produceStackIndex(stackElementsType, parent, arrayIndex);
-            BUG_CHECK(stackElementsType->is<IR::Type_StructLike>(),
-                      "Trying to get the flat fields for a non Type_StructLike element : %1%",
-                      stackElementsType);
-            auto subFields = getFlatFields(newArr, validVector);
-            flatFields.insert(flatFields.end(), subFields.begin(), subFields.end());
+            if (auto str = stackElementsType->to<IR::Type_StructLike>()) {
+                auto subFields = getFlatFields(newArr, validVector);
+                flatFields.insert(flatFields.end(), subFields.begin(), subFields.end());
+            } else {
+                flatFields.push_back(newArr);
+            }
         }
     } else {
         flatFields.push_back(parent);
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2MetadataXfail.cmake b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2MetadataXfail.cmake
index 5803decc815..c110c1d2fc0 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2MetadataXfail.cmake
+++ b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2MetadataXfail.cmake
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
   loop-3-clause-tricky2.p4
 )
 
+p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
+  "testgen-p4c-bmv2-metadata"
+  "Cast failed"
+  # testgen has issues with arrays
+  array1.p4
+  array2.p4
+)
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # 3. WONTFIX
 ####################################################################################################
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2PTFXfail.cmake b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2PTFXfail.cmake
index ff800411663..5bdcfbae3f9 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2PTFXfail.cmake
+++ b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2PTFXfail.cmake
@@ -108,6 +108,14 @@ p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
   loop-3-clause-tricky2.p4
 )
 
+p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
+  "testgen-p4c-bmv2-ptf"
+  "Cast failed"
+  # testgen has issues with arrays
+  array1.p4
+  array2.p4
+)
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # 3. WONTFIX
 # These are failures that can not be solved by changing P4Testgen
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2ProtobufIrXfail.cmake b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2ProtobufIrXfail.cmake
index 37938f56512..f8316c280fa 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2ProtobufIrXfail.cmake
+++ b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2ProtobufIrXfail.cmake
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
   loop-3-clause-tricky2.p4
 )
 
+p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
+  "testgen-p4c-bmv2-protobuf-ir"
+  "Cast failed"
+  # testgen has issues with arrays
+  array1.p4
+  array2.p4
+)
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # 3. WONTFIX
 ####################################################################################################
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2STFXfail.cmake b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2STFXfail.cmake
index dd146980cab..179825dad3d 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2STFXfail.cmake
+++ b/backends/p4tools/modules/testgen/targets/bmv2/test/BMV2STFXfail.cmake
@@ -108,6 +108,14 @@ p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
   loop-3-clause-tricky2.p4
 )
 
+p4tools_add_xfail_reason(
+  "testgen-p4c-bmv2-stf"
+  "Cast failed"
+  # testgen has issues with arrays
+  array1.p4
+  array2.p4
+)
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # 3. WONTFIX
 # These are failures that can not be solved by changing P4Testgen
diff --git a/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckExpr.cpp b/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckExpr.cpp
index b711c581a0a..84f8836c0c5 100644
--- a/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckExpr.cpp
+++ b/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckExpr.cpp
@@ -1707,8 +1707,9 @@ const IR::Node *TypeInferenceBase::postorder(const IR::Member *expression) {
     if (auto *stack = type->to<IR::Type_Stack>()) {
         auto parser = findContext<IR::P4Parser>();
         auto eltype = stack->elementType;
-        if (!eltype->is<IR::Type_Header>() && !eltype->is<IR::Type_HeaderUnion>() /* &&
-            !eltype->is<IR::Type_SpecializedCanonical>() */) {
+        if (auto sc = eltype->to<IR::Type_SpecializedCanonical>())
+            eltype = sc->baseType;
+        if (!eltype->is<IR::Type_Header>() && !eltype->is<IR::Type_HeaderUnion>()) {
             typeError("%1%: '%2%' can only be used on header stacks", expression, member);
             return expression;
         } else if (member == IR::Type_Stack::next || member == IR::Type_Stack::last) {
diff --git a/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckTypes.cpp b/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckTypes.cpp
index 9a9cbb7415e..10f934ca114 100644
--- a/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckTypes.cpp
+++ b/frontends/p4/typeChecking/typeCheckTypes.cpp
@@ -425,9 +425,12 @@ const IR::Node *TypeInferenceBase::postorder(const IR::Type_Header *type) {
     auto canon = setTypeType(type);
     auto validator = [this](const IR::Type *t) {
         while (1) {
-            if (t->is<IR::Type_Newtype>()) t = getTypeType(t->to<IR::Type_Newtype>()->type);
-            else if (auto *st = t->to<IR::Type_Stack>()) t = st->elementType;
-            else break;
+            if (t->is<IR::Type_Newtype>())
+                t = getTypeType(t->to<IR::Type_Newtype>()->type);
+            else if (auto *st = t->to<IR::Type_Stack>())
+                t = st->elementType;
+            else
+                break;
         }
         return t->is<IR::Type_Bits>() || t->is<IR::Type_Varbits>() ||
                (t->is<IR::Type_Struct>() && onlyBitsOrBitStructs(t)) || t->is<IR::Type_SerEnum>() ||