diff --git a/library/core/src/array/mod.rs b/library/core/src/array/mod.rs
index 966272ca11549..026b22d38609e 100644
--- a/library/core/src/array/mod.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/array/mod.rs
@@ -353,29 +353,57 @@ impl<T: Ord, const N: usize> Ord for [T; N] {
     }
 }
 
-// The Default impls cannot be generated using the array_impls! macro because
-// they require array literals.
-
-macro_rules! array_impl_default {
-    {$n:expr, $t:ident $($ts:ident)*} => {
-        #[stable(since = "1.4.0", feature = "array_default")]
-        impl<T> Default for [T; $n] where T: Default {
-            fn default() -> [T; $n] {
-                [$t::default(), $($ts::default()),*]
-            }
+/// This module implements `Default` for arrays.
+mod default_impls {
+    // A trait implemented by all arrays which are either empty or contain a type implementing `Default`.
+    #[unstable(
+        feature = "array_default_internals",
+        reason = "implementation detail",
+        issue = "none"
+    )]
+    #[marker]
+    pub trait ArrayDefault {}
+
+    #[unstable(
+        feature = "array_default_internals",
+        reason = "implementation detail",
+        issue = "none"
+    )]
+    impl<T> ArrayDefault for [T; 0] {}
+
+    #[unstable(
+        feature = "array_default_internals",
+        reason = "implementation detail",
+        issue = "none"
+    )]
+    impl<T: Default, const N: usize> ArrayDefault for [T; N] {}
+
+    trait DefaultHack {
+        fn default_hack() -> Self;
+    }
+
+    impl<T> DefaultHack for T {
+        default fn default_hack() -> Self {
+            unreachable!();
         }
-        array_impl_default!{($n - 1), $($ts)*}
-    };
-    {$n:expr,} => {
-        #[stable(since = "1.4.0", feature = "array_default")]
-        impl<T> Default for [T; $n] {
-            fn default() -> [T; $n] { [] }
+    }
+
+    impl<T: Default> DefaultHack for T {
+        fn default_hack() -> Self {
+            Default::default()
         }
-    };
+    }
+    #[stable(since = "1.4.0", feature = "array_default")]
+    impl<T, const N: usize> Default for [T; N]
+    where
+        [T; N]: ArrayDefault,
+    {
+        fn default() -> [T; N] {
+            [(); N].map(|_unit| DefaultHack::default_hack())
+        }
+    }
 }
 
-array_impl_default! {32, T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T}
-
 #[lang = "array"]
 impl<T, const N: usize> [T; N] {
     /// Returns an array of the same size as `self`, with function `f` applied to each element
diff --git a/library/core/src/default.rs b/library/core/src/default.rs
index 9a8d65cd4e06b..9240c9764996a 100644
--- a/library/core/src/default.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/default.rs
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@
 /// }
 /// ```
 #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
+// specialization is used in array impls
+#[rustc_specialization_trait]
 pub trait Default: Sized {
     /// Returns the "default value" for a type.
     ///
diff --git a/library/core/src/lib.rs b/library/core/src/lib.rs
index c9a80b5bc7722..94b628abb169f 100644
--- a/library/core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/lib.rs
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 #![allow(explicit_outlives_requirements)]
 #![allow(incomplete_features)]
 #![feature(allow_internal_unstable)]
+#![cfg_attr(not(bootstrap), feature(array_default_internals))]
 #![feature(arbitrary_self_types)]
 #![feature(asm)]
 #![feature(cfg_target_has_atomic)]
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@
 #![feature(lang_items)]
 #![feature(link_llvm_intrinsics)]
 #![feature(llvm_asm)]
+#![feature(marker_trait_attr)]
 #![feature(negative_impls)]
 #![feature(never_type)]
 #![feature(nll)]
diff --git a/library/core/tests/array.rs b/library/core/tests/array.rs
index 89c2a969c28bb..31f385a95b281 100644
--- a/library/core/tests/array.rs
+++ b/library/core/tests/array.rs
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ fn array_default_impl_avoids_leaks_on_panic() {
         }
     }
 
-    let res = std::panic::catch_unwind(|| <[Bomb; 5]>::default());
+    let res = std::panic::catch_unwind(|| <[Bomb; 35]>::default());
     let panic_msg = match res {
         Ok(_) => unreachable!(),
         Err(p) => p.downcast::<&'static str>().unwrap(),