diff --git a/analyser/module_analyser_expr.c2 b/analyser/module_analyser_expr.c2
index 560f82c4..9a68ea9b 100644
--- a/analyser/module_analyser_expr.c2
+++ b/analyser/module_analyser_expr.c2
@@ -420,12 +420,36 @@ fn QualType Analyser.analyseExplicitCast(Analyser* ma, Expr** e_ptr) {
     TypeRef* ref = c.getTypeRef();
     QualType destType = ma.analyseTypeRef(ref);
 
+    Expr* inner = c.getInner();
+    if (inner.isInitList()) {
+        InitListExpr* initList = cast<InitListExpr*>(inner);
+        if (destType.isInvalid())
+            return QualType_Invalid;
+        if (destType.isArray() || destType.isStruct()) {
+            if (!ma.analyseInitListExpr(initList, destType))
+                return QualType_Invalid;
+        } else {
+            u32 num_values = initList.getNumValues();
+            Expr** values = initList.getValues();
+            if (num_values != 1 || values[0].isInitList()) {
+                ma.error(inner.getLoc(), "invalid initializer");
+                return QualType_Invalid;
+            }
+            if (!ma.analyseInitExpr(&values[0], destType, values[0].getLoc(), false, false))
+                return QualType_Invalid;
+        }
+        e.setLValue();
+        c.setDestType(destType);
+        return destType;
+    }
     QualType srcType = ma.analyseExpr(c.getInner2(), true, RHS);
 
     if (srcType.isInvalid() || destType.isInvalid()) return QualType_Invalid;
 
-    Expr* inner = c.getInner();
+    inner = c.getInner();
     e.copyConstantFlags(inner);
+    // TODO: this is probably incorrect: valType should be LValue for reinterpret
+    // casts and RValue for conversion casts
     e.copyValType(inner);
     c.setDestType(destType);
 
diff --git a/ast/explicit_cast_expr.c2 b/ast/explicit_cast_expr.c2
index ace695b1..e1eb0717 100644
--- a/ast/explicit_cast_expr.c2
+++ b/ast/explicit_cast_expr.c2
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ public fn ExplicitCastExpr* ExplicitCastExpr.create(ast_context.Context* c,
 {
     u32 size = sizeof(ExplicitCastExpr) + ref.getExtraSize();
     ExplicitCastExpr* e = c.alloc(size);
+    // TODO ValType.LValue for compound
     e.base.init(ExprKind.ExplicitCast, loc, 0, 0, 0, ValType.NValue);
     e.base.base.explicitCastExprBits.c_style = c_style;
     e.base.base.explicitCastExprBits.src_len = src_len;
diff --git a/ast/expr.c2 b/ast/expr.c2
index 6fb57083..d8b45d4c 100644
--- a/ast/expr.c2
+++ b/ast/expr.c2
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static_assert(elemsof(ExprKind), elemsof(exprKind_names));
 
 /*
     An LValue may be on the left/right side of an assignment
-    An RValue may only be on the left side
+    An RValue may only be on the right side
     An NValue is an abstract object (cannot be used on either side)
 
     Lvalue:
diff --git a/generator/c/c_generator_expr.c2 b/generator/c/c_generator_expr.c2
index 6fce9c75..50e7a643 100644
--- a/generator/c/c_generator_expr.c2
+++ b/generator/c/c_generator_expr.c2
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ fn void Generator.emitExpr2(Generator* gen, string_buffer.Buf* out, Expr* e, C_P
     case ExplicitCast:
         ExplicitCastExpr* c = (ExplicitCastExpr*)e;
         if (prec > Prefix) out.lparen();
-        gen.emitCast(out, c.getDestType(), false);
+        gen.emitCast(out, c.getDestType(), true);
         if (c.getCStyle()) {
             gen.emitExpr2(out, c.getInner(), Prefix);
         } else {
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ fn void Generator.emitExpr2(Generator* gen, string_buffer.Buf* out, Expr* e, C_P
         out.add(" ... ");
         gen.emitExpr(out, b.getRHS());
         if (prec > Assignment) out.rparen();
-        return;
+        break;
     case NamedArgument:
         NamedArgument* n = (NamedArgument*)e;
         gen.emitExpr(out, n.getInner());
diff --git a/generator/ir/ir_generator_expr.c2 b/generator/ir/ir_generator_expr.c2
index bfddd54b..d6344b17 100644
--- a/generator/ir/ir_generator_expr.c2
+++ b/generator/ir/ir_generator_expr.c2
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ fn void Generator.emitExpr(Generator* gen, ir.Ref* result, const Expr* e) {
         break;
     case ExplicitCast:
         ExplicitCastExpr* ec = (ExplicitCastExpr*)e;
+        if (ec.getInner().isInitList()) {
+            assert(0); // TODO
+            break;
+        }
         gen.emitExpr(result, ec.getInner());
         break;
     case ImplicitCast:
diff --git a/parser/c2_parser_expr.c2 b/parser/c2_parser_expr.c2
index 96c676f9..cb977688 100644
--- a/parser/c2_parser_expr.c2
+++ b/parser/c2_parser_expr.c2
@@ -545,16 +545,17 @@ fn Expr* Parser.parseParenExpr(Parser* p) {
         TypeRefHolder ref.init();
         p.parseTypeSpecifier(&ref);
         p.expectAndConsume(Kind.RParen);
+        Expr* expr;
         if (p.tok.kind == Kind.LBrace) {
             // compound literal
-            p.error("Compound literals are not supported");
+            expr = p.parseInitList();
         } else {
             // C cast expression
-            if (ref.isArray()) p.error("array types are not allowed here");
-            Expr* expr = p.parseCastExpr(false, false);
-            u32 src_len = p.prev_loc - loc;
-            return p.builder.actOnExplicitCast(loc, src_len, &ref, expr, true);
+            if (ref.isArray()) p.error("cast to array type is invalid");
+            expr = p.parseCastExpr(false, false);
         }
+        u32 src_len = p.prev_loc - loc;
+        return p.builder.actOnExplicitCast(loc, src_len, &ref, expr, true);
     }
 
     Expr* res = p.parseExpr();
diff --git a/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_c_cast_array.c2 b/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_c_cast_array.c2
index 52e96a71..cdc2ed54 100644
--- a/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_c_cast_array.c2
+++ b/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_c_cast_array.c2
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 module test;
 
 fn void test1a(i32 a) {
-    char[2] b1 = (char[2])(a);  // @error{array types are not allowed here}
+    char[2] b1 = (char[2])(a);  // @error{cast to array type is invalid}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_cast_array.c2 b/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_cast_array.c2
index 0460dfdf..d9a53c61 100644
--- a/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_cast_array.c2
+++ b/test/expr/explicit_cast/explicit_cast_array.c2
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 module test;
 
 fn void test1(i32 a) {
-    char[2] b = (char[2])a;  // @error{array types are not allowed here}
+    char[2] b = (char[2])a;  // @error{cast to array type is invalid}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/literals/compound_literals.c2 b/test/literals/compound_literals.c2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8129525c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/literals/compound_literals.c2
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// @warnings{no-unused}
+module test;
+
+import stdio local;
+
+type Foo struct {
+    i32 x;
+    i32 y;
+}
+
+fn void test_foo(Foo foo) {}
+fn void Foo.bar(Foo* foo) {}
+fn Foo Foo.create(i32 x, i32 y) { return (Foo){ x, y }; }
+
+fn i32 sum(i32 *p, u32 count) {
+    i32 total = 0;
+    for (i32 i = 0; i < count; i++) total += p[i];
+    return total;
+}
+
+public fn i32 main() {
+    Foo[] foos = {
+        { },
+        { 0, 1 },
+        (Foo){ 1, 2 },
+        (Foo){ .x = 2, .y = 3 },
+        [4] = { },
+        [5] = { 3, 4 },
+        [6] = (Foo){ 4, 5 },
+        [7] = (Foo){ .x = 5, .y = 6 },
+    }
+
+    test_foo({});
+    test_foo({ 1, 2 });
+    test_foo({ .x = 1, .y = 2 });
+    test_foo((Foo){});
+    test_foo((Foo){ 1, 2 });
+    test_foo((Foo){ .x = 1, .y = 2 });
+
+    foos[0].bar();
+    (Foo){1, 2}.bar();
+
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[]){ 1 }, 1));
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[]){ 1, 2 }, 2));
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[]){ 1, 2, 3 }, 3));
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[1]){ 1 }, 1));
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[2]){ 1, 2 }, 2));
+    printf("%d\n", sum((i32[10]){ 1, 2, 3 }, 10));
+
+    // Enable these tests once arrays are implied for pointer arguments
+    //printf("%d\n", sum({ 1 }, 1));
+    //printf("%d\n", sum({ 1, 2 }, 2));
+    //printf("%d\n", sum({ 1, 2, 3 }, 3));
+
+    return 0;
+}