diff --git a/importer/source.go b/importer/source.go
index 326d5d25..77890723 100644
--- a/importer/source.go
+++ b/importer/source.go
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ func NodeDescription(n ast.Node) string {
 	case *ast.SwitchStmt:
 		return "switch statement"
 	case *ast.TypeAssertExpr:
-		return "type assertioh"
+		return "type assertion"
 	case *ast.TypeSpec:
 		return "type specification"
 	case *ast.TypeSwitchStmt:
diff --git a/ssa/builder.go b/ssa/builder.go
index a7406796..7b288712 100644
--- a/ssa/builder.go
+++ b/ssa/builder.go
@@ -303,7 +303,9 @@ func (b *builder) builtin(fn *Function, name string, args []ast.Expr, typ types.
 		}
 
 	case "new":
-		return emitNew(fn, deref(typ), pos)
+		alloc := emitNew(fn, deref(typ), pos)
+		alloc.Comment = "new"
+		return alloc
 
 	case "len", "cap":
 		// Special case: len or cap of an array or *array is
@@ -367,12 +369,13 @@ func (b *builder) addr(fn *Function, e ast.Expr, escaping bool) lvalue {
 
 	case *ast.CompositeLit:
 		t := deref(fn.Pkg.typeOf(e))
-		var v Value
+		var v *Alloc
 		if escaping {
 			v = emitNew(fn, t, e.Lbrace)
 		} else {
 			v = fn.addLocal(t, e.Lbrace)
 		}
+		v.Comment = "complit"
 		b.compLit(fn, v, e, t) // initialize in place
 		return &address{addr: v, expr: e}
 
@@ -875,6 +878,7 @@ func (b *builder) emitCallArgs(fn *Function, sig *types.Signature, e *ast.CallEx
 			at := types.NewArray(vt, int64(len(varargs)))
 			// Don't set pos for implicit Allocs.
 			a := emitNew(fn, at, token.NoPos)
+			a.Comment = "varargs"
 			for i, arg := range varargs {
 				iaddr := &IndexAddr{
 					X:     a,
@@ -1186,7 +1190,9 @@ func (b *builder) compLit(fn *Function, addr Value, e *ast.CompositeLit, typ typ
 		switch t := t.(type) {
 		case *types.Slice:
 			at = types.NewArray(t.Elem(), b.arrayLen(fn, e.Elts))
-			array = emitNew(fn, at, e.Lbrace)
+			alloc := emitNew(fn, at, e.Lbrace)
+			alloc.Comment = "slicelit"
+			array = alloc
 		case *types.Array:
 			at = t
 			array = addr
diff --git a/ssa/emit.go b/ssa/emit.go
index 55a4af8d..d819f07b 100644
--- a/ssa/emit.go
+++ b/ssa/emit.go
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ import (
 // emitNew emits to f a new (heap Alloc) instruction allocating an
 // object of type typ.  pos is the optional source location.
 //
-func emitNew(f *Function, typ types.Type, pos token.Pos) Value {
-	return f.emit(&Alloc{
-		typ:  types.NewPointer(typ),
-		Heap: true,
-		pos:  pos,
-	})
+func emitNew(f *Function, typ types.Type, pos token.Pos) *Alloc {
+	v := &Alloc{Heap: true}
+	v.setType(types.NewPointer(typ))
+	v.setPos(pos)
+	f.emit(v)
+	return v
 }
 
 // emitLoad emits to f an instruction to load the address addr into a
diff --git a/ssa/example_test.go b/ssa/example_test.go
index de2a1794..9aca4a45 100644
--- a/ssa/example_test.go
+++ b/ssa/example_test.go
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ func main() {
 	// # Location: hello.go:8:6
 	// func main():
 	// .0.entry:                                                               P:0 S:0
-	// 	a0 = new [1]interface{}                                 *[1]interface{}
-	// 	t0 = &a0[0:untyped integer]                                *interface{}
-	// 	t1 = make interface{} <- string ("Hello, World!":string)    interface{}
-	// 	*t0 = t1
-	// 	t2 = slice a0[:]                                          []interface{}
-	// 	t3 = fmt.Println(t2)                                 (n int, err error)
+	// 	t0 = new [1]interface{} (varargs)                       *[1]interface{}
+	// 	t1 = &t0[0:untyped integer]                                *interface{}
+	// 	t2 = make interface{} <- string ("Hello, World!":string)    interface{}
+	// 	*t1 = t2
+	// 	t3 = slice t0[:]                                          []interface{}
+	// 	t4 = fmt.Println(t3)                                 (n int, err error)
 	// 	ret
 }
diff --git a/ssa/func.go b/ssa/func.go
index 09a4c02a..ae155901 100644
--- a/ssa/func.go
+++ b/ssa/func.go
@@ -195,11 +195,9 @@ func (f *Function) addParamObj(obj types.Object) *Parameter {
 //
 func (f *Function) addSpilledParam(obj types.Object) {
 	param := f.addParamObj(obj)
-	spill := &Alloc{
-		name: obj.Name() + "~", // "~" means "spilled"
-		typ:  types.NewPointer(obj.Type()),
-		pos:  obj.Pos(),
-	}
+	spill := &Alloc{Comment: obj.Name()}
+	spill.setType(types.NewPointer(obj.Type()))
+	spill.setPos(obj.Pos())
 	f.objects[obj] = spill
 	f.Locals = append(f.Locals, spill)
 	f.emit(spill)
@@ -266,21 +264,12 @@ func (f *Function) createSyntacticParams() {
 // numberRegisters assigns numbers to all SSA registers
 // (value-defining Instructions) in f, to aid debugging.
 // (Non-Instruction Values are named at construction.)
-// NB: named Allocs retain their existing name.
-// TODO(adonovan): when we have source position info,
-// preserve names only for source locals.
 //
 func numberRegisters(f *Function) {
-	a, v := 0, 0
+	v := 0
 	for _, b := range f.Blocks {
 		for _, instr := range b.Instrs {
-			switch instr := instr.(type) {
-			case *Alloc:
-				// Allocs may be named at birth.
-				if instr.name == "" {
-					instr.name = fmt.Sprintf("a%d", a)
-					a++
-				}
+			switch instr.(type) {
 			case Value:
 				instr.(interface {
 					setNum(int)
@@ -396,7 +385,7 @@ func (f *Function) debugInfo() bool {
 //
 func (f *Function) addNamedLocal(obj types.Object) *Alloc {
 	l := f.addLocal(obj.Type(), obj.Pos())
-	l.name = obj.Name()
+	l.Comment = obj.Name()
 	f.objects[obj] = l
 	return l
 }
@@ -409,7 +398,9 @@ func (f *Function) addLocalForIdent(id *ast.Ident) *Alloc {
 // to function f and returns it.  pos is the optional source location.
 //
 func (f *Function) addLocal(typ types.Type, pos token.Pos) *Alloc {
-	v := &Alloc{typ: types.NewPointer(typ), pos: pos}
+	v := &Alloc{}
+	v.setType(types.NewPointer(typ))
+	v.setPos(pos)
 	f.Locals = append(f.Locals, v)
 	f.emit(v)
 	return v
diff --git a/ssa/print.go b/ssa/print.go
index e5315325..6bdc1b5c 100644
--- a/ssa/print.go
+++ b/ssa/print.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (v *Alloc) String() string {
 	if v.Heap {
 		op = "new"
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", op, deref(v.Type()))
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s (%s)", op, deref(v.Type()), v.Comment)
 }
 
 func (v *Phi) String() string {
diff --git a/ssa/ssa.go b/ssa/ssa.go
index a0e7b912..07e2540d 100644
--- a/ssa/ssa.go
+++ b/ssa/ssa.go
@@ -437,13 +437,10 @@ type Builtin struct {
 // 	t1 = new int
 //
 type Alloc struct {
-	anInstruction
-	name      string
-	typ       types.Type
-	Heap      bool
-	pos       token.Pos
-	referrers []Instruction
-	index     int // dense numbering; for lifting
+	Register
+	Comment string
+	Heap    bool
+	index   int // dense numbering; for lifting
 }
 
 // The Phi instruction represents an SSA φ-node, which combines values
@@ -1339,7 +1336,6 @@ func (v *Parameter) Pos() token.Pos            { return v.pos }
 func (v *Parameter) Parent() *Function         { return v.parent }
 
 func (v *Alloc) Type() types.Type          { return v.typ }
-func (v *Alloc) Name() string              { return v.name }
 func (v *Alloc) Referrers() *[]Instruction { return &v.referrers }
 func (v *Alloc) Pos() token.Pos            { return v.pos }