diff --git a/src/encoding/gob/decode.go b/src/encoding/gob/decode.go
index 4ef9ef7243e..f92556f8ab6 100644
--- a/src/encoding/gob/decode.go
+++ b/src/encoding/gob/decode.go
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ func (dec *Decoder) decodeSlice(state *decoderState, value reflect.Value, elemOp
 	if value.Cap() < n {
 		value.Set(reflect.MakeSlice(typ, n, n))
 	} else {
-		value.Set(value.Slice(0, n))
+		value.SetLen(n)
 	}
 	dec.decodeArrayHelper(state, value, elemOp, n, ovfl, helper)
 }
diff --git a/src/encoding/gob/timing_test.go b/src/encoding/gob/timing_test.go
index ceb21c4107b..516aeea92c6 100644
--- a/src/encoding/gob/timing_test.go
+++ b/src/encoding/gob/timing_test.go
@@ -279,7 +279,13 @@ func BenchmarkDecodeStringSlice(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 	benchmarkDecodeSlice(b, a)
 }
-
+func BenchmarkDecodeStringsSlice(b *testing.B) {
+	a := make([][]string, 1000)
+	for i := range a {
+		a[i] = []string{"now is the time"}
+	}
+	benchmarkDecodeSlice(b, a)
+}
 func BenchmarkDecodeBytesSlice(b *testing.B) {
 	a := make([][]byte, 1000)
 	for i := range a {