diff --git a/base/abstractarray.jl b/base/abstractarray.jl
index 3e82aeb2245fa..0497852f798ff 100644
--- a/base/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/base/abstractarray.jl
@@ -896,7 +896,7 @@ function typed_vcat{T}(::Type{T}, V::AbstractVector...)
     for Vk in V
         n += length(Vk)
     end
-    a = similar(full(V[1]), T, n)
+    a = similar(convert(Array, V[1]), T, n)
     pos = 1
     for k=1:length(V)
         Vk = V[k]
@@ -924,7 +924,7 @@ function typed_hcat{T}(::Type{T}, A::AbstractVecOrMat...)
         nd = ndims(Aj)
         ncols += (nd==2 ? size(Aj,2) : 1)
     end
-    B = similar(full(A[1]), T, nrows, ncols)
+    B = similar(convert(Array, A[1]), T, nrows, ncols)
     pos = 1
     if dense
         for k=1:nargs
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ function typed_vcat{T}(::Type{T}, A::AbstractMatrix...)
             throw(ArgumentError("number of columns of each array must match (got $(map(x->size(x,2), A)))"))
         end
     end
-    B = similar(full(A[1]), T, nrows, ncols)
+    B = similar(convert(Array, A[1]), T, nrows, ncols)
     pos = 1
     for k=1:nargs
         Ak = A[k]
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ function cat_t(catdims, typeC::Type, X...)
         end
     end
 
-    C = similar(isa(X[1],AbstractArray) ? full(X[1]) : [X[1]], typeC, tuple(dimsC...))
+    C = similar(isa(X[1],AbstractArray) ? convert(Array, X[1]) : [X[1]], typeC, tuple(dimsC...))
     if length(catdims)>1
         fill!(C,0)
     end
@@ -1075,7 +1075,7 @@ function typed_hvcat{T}(::Type{T}, rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, as::AbstractMatrix.
         a += rows[i]
     end
 
-    out = similar(full(as[1]), T, nr, nc)
+    out = similar(convert(Array, as[1]), T, nr, nc)
 
     a = 1
     r = 1
diff --git a/base/test.jl b/base/test.jl
index 2681d48ee573a..1411a28010799 100644
--- a/base/test.jl
+++ b/base/test.jl
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ end
 
 approx_full(x::AbstractArray) = x
 approx_full(x::Number) = x
-approx_full(x) = full(x)
+approx_full(x) = convert(Array, x)
 
 function test_approx_eq(va, vb, Eps, astr, bstr)
     va = approx_full(va)