diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
index 50b866ca65..85c857c214 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ type Arch struct {
 var thearch Arch
 
 var (
-	staticbytes,
+	staticuint64s,
 	zerobase *Node
 
 	assertE2I,
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
index d468f241f9..14af03f58c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
@@ -837,10 +837,12 @@ opswitch:
 			break
 		}
 
-		if staticbytes == nil {
-			staticbytes = newname(Runtimepkg.Lookup("staticbytes"))
-			staticbytes.SetClass(PEXTERN)
-			staticbytes.Type = types.NewArray(types.Types[TUINT8], 256)
+		if staticuint64s == nil {
+			staticuint64s = newname(Runtimepkg.Lookup("staticuint64s"))
+			staticuint64s.SetClass(PEXTERN)
+			// The actual type is [256]uint64, but we use [256*8]uint8 so we can address
+			// individual bytes.
+			staticuint64s.Type = types.NewArray(types.Types[TUINT8], 256*8)
 			zerobase = newname(Runtimepkg.Lookup("zerobase"))
 			zerobase.SetClass(PEXTERN)
 			zerobase.Type = types.Types[TUINTPTR]
@@ -856,9 +858,16 @@ opswitch:
 			cheapexpr(n.Left, init) // Evaluate n.Left for side-effects. See issue 19246.
 			value = zerobase
 		case fromType.IsBoolean() || (fromType.Size() == 1 && fromType.IsInteger()):
-			// n.Left is a bool/byte. Use staticbytes[n.Left].
+			// n.Left is a bool/byte. Use staticuint64s[n.Left * 8] on little-endian
+			// and staticuint64s[n.Left * 8 + 7] on big-endian.
 			n.Left = cheapexpr(n.Left, init)
-			value = nod(OINDEX, staticbytes, byteindex(n.Left))
+			// byteindex widens n.Left so that the multiplication doesn't overflow.
+			index := nod(OLSH, byteindex(n.Left), nodintconst(3))
+			index.SetBounded(true)
+			if thearch.LinkArch.ByteOrder == binary.BigEndian {
+				index = nod(OADD, index, nodintconst(7))
+			}
+			value = nod(OINDEX, staticuint64s, index)
 			value.SetBounded(true)
 		case n.Left.Class() == PEXTERN && n.Left.Name != nil && n.Left.Name.Readonly():
 			// n.Left is a readonly global; use it directly.
@@ -2423,15 +2432,21 @@ func convnop(n *Node, t *types.Type) *Node {
 	return n
 }
 
-// byteindex converts n, which is byte-sized, to a uint8.
-// We cannot use conv, because we allow converting bool to uint8 here,
+// byteindex converts n, which is byte-sized, to an int used to index into an array.
+// We cannot use conv, because we allow converting bool to int here,
 // which is forbidden in user code.
 func byteindex(n *Node) *Node {
-	if types.Identical(n.Type, types.Types[TUINT8]) {
-		return n
+	// We cannot convert from bool to int directly.
+	// While converting from int8 to int is possible, it would yield
+	// the wrong result for negative values.
+	// Reinterpreting the value as an unsigned byte solves both cases.
+	if !types.Identical(n.Type, types.Types[TUINT8]) {
+		n = nod(OCONV, n, nil)
+		n.Type = types.Types[TUINT8]
+		n.SetTypecheck(1)
 	}
 	n = nod(OCONV, n, nil)
-	n.Type = types.Types[TUINT8]
+	n.Type = types.Types[TINT]
 	n.SetTypecheck(1)
 	return n
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/iface_test.go b/src/runtime/iface_test.go
index 73beebffe2..4fab6c968a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/iface_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/iface_test.go
@@ -95,6 +95,19 @@ func BenchmarkNeIfaceConcrete(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 }
 
+func BenchmarkConvT2EByteSized(b *testing.B) {
+	b.Run("bool", func(b *testing.B) {
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			e = yes
+		}
+	})
+	b.Run("uint8", func(b *testing.B) {
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			e = eight8
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 func BenchmarkConvT2ESmall(b *testing.B) {
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		e = ts
@@ -310,6 +323,7 @@ func TestZeroConvT2x(t *testing.T) {
 var (
 	eight8  uint8 = 8
 	eight8I T8    = 8
+	yes     bool  = true
 
 	zero16     uint16 = 0
 	zero16I    T16    = 0
diff --git a/test/codegen/smallintiface.go b/test/codegen/smallintiface.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0207a0af79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/codegen/smallintiface.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// asmcheck
+
+package codegen
+
+// Copyright 2020 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+func booliface() interface{} {
+	// amd64:`LEAQ\truntime.staticuint64s\+8\(SB\)`
+	return true
+}
+
+func smallint8iface() interface{} {
+	// amd64:`LEAQ\truntime.staticuint64s\+2024\(SB\)`
+	return int8(-3)
+}
+
+func smalluint8iface() interface{} {
+	// amd64:`LEAQ\truntime.staticuint64s\+24\(SB\)`
+	return uint8(3)
+}