http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=50460
--- Comment #6 from Jakub Jelinek <jakub at gcc dot gnu.org> 2011-09-26 09:08:36 UTC --- #define strcpy(x,y) __builtin___strcpy_chk (x, y, __builtin_object_size (x, 1)) int f1 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy (a.buf1 + 9, "a"); return 0; } int f2 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy (a.buf2 + 0, "a"); return 0; } int f3 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy (a.buf1 + 10, "a"); return 0; } int f4 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy (a.buf2 - 1, "a"); return 0; } int f5 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy ((char *) &a + 10, "a"); return 0; } int f6 (void) { struct A { char buf1[9]; char buf2[4]; } a; strcpy ((char *) a.buf2 - 1, "a"); return 0; } used to warn in f{1,3,4,6} (and fail at runtime) and not in f{2,5} in 4.{1,2,3,4,6} (haven't checked 4.5), doesn't warn nor fail on the trunk. So yes, 4.0+ clearly did some reconstruction, but only in limited cases (e.g. when the &a is offsetted). Some field + offset remained COMPONENT_REF + offset.