diff --git a/src/net/tcp.rs b/src/net/tcp.rs
index e9022fc65..e94f6fe5c 100644
--- a/src/net/tcp.rs
+++ b/src/net/tcp.rs
@@ -595,7 +595,31 @@ impl<'a> AsyncRead for &'a TcpStream {
             return Ok(Async::NotReady)
         }
         let r = unsafe {
-            let mut bufs: [_; 16] = Default::default();
+            // The `IoVec` type can't have a 0-length size, so we create a bunch
+            // of dummy versions on the stack with 1 length which we'll quickly
+            // overwrite.
+            let mut b1: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b2: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b3: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b4: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b5: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b6: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b7: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b8: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b9: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b10: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b11: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b12: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b13: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b14: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b15: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut b16: &mut [u8] = &mut [0];
+            let mut bufs: [&mut IoVec; 16] = [
+                b1.into(), b2.into(), b3.into(), b4.into(),
+                b5.into(), b6.into(), b7.into(), b8.into(),
+                b9.into(), b10.into(), b11.into(), b12.into(),
+                b13.into(), b14.into(), b15.into(), b16.into(),
+            ];
             let n = buf.bytes_vec_mut(&mut bufs);
             self.io.get_ref().read_bufs(&mut bufs[..n])
         };
@@ -624,7 +648,17 @@ impl<'a> AsyncWrite for &'a TcpStream {
             return Ok(Async::NotReady)
         }
         let r = {
-            let mut bufs: [_; 16] = Default::default();
+            // The `IoVec` type can't have a zero-length size, so create a dummy
+            // version from a 1-length slice which we'll overwrite with the
+            // `bytes_vec` method.
+            static DUMMY: &[u8] = &[0];
+            let iovec = <&IoVec>::from(DUMMY);
+            let mut bufs = [
+                iovec, iovec, iovec, iovec,
+                iovec, iovec, iovec, iovec,
+                iovec, iovec, iovec, iovec,
+                iovec, iovec, iovec, iovec,
+            ];
             let n = buf.bytes_vec(&mut bufs);
             self.io.get_ref().write_bufs(&bufs[..n])
         };