diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
index a34963f74d3..edd1cd04d47 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
@@ -1888,14 +1888,6 @@ impl<'tcx> TyS<'tcx> {
         matches!(self.kind(), Int(ty::IntTy::Isize) | Uint(ty::UintTy::Usize))
     }
 
-    #[inline]
-    pub fn is_machine(&self) -> bool {
-        // Yes, RawPtr is a "machine" type for these purposes.
-        // LLVM uses a vector-of-pointers model for scatter/gather ops,
-        // which typically use a base pointer and vector of signed integers.
-        matches!(self.kind(), Int(..) | Uint(..) | Float(..) | RawPtr(..))
-    }
-
     #[inline]
     pub fn has_concrete_skeleton(&self) -> bool {
         !matches!(self.kind(), Param(_) | Infer(_) | Error(_))
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_typeck/src/check/check.rs b/compiler/rustc_typeck/src/check/check.rs
index 92d7ea26003..166410731d2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_typeck/src/check/check.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_typeck/src/check/check.rs
@@ -1214,10 +1214,19 @@ pub fn check_simd(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, sp: Span, def_id: LocalDefId) {
                 }
             }
 
+            // Check that we use types valid for use in the lanes of a SIMD "vector register"
+            // These are scalar types which directly match a "machine" type
+            // Yes: Integers, floats, "thin" pointers
+            // No: char, "fat" pointers, compound types
             match e.kind() {
-                ty::Param(_) => { /* struct<T>(T, T, T, T) is ok */ }
-                _ if e.is_machine() => { /* struct(u8, u8, u8, u8) is ok */ }
-                ty::Array(ty, _c) if ty.is_machine() => { /* struct([f32; 4]) */ }
+                ty::Param(_) => (), // pass struct<T>(T, T, T, T) through, let monomorphization catch errors
+                ty::Int(_) | ty::Uint(_) | ty::Float(_) | ty::RawPtr(_) => (), // struct(u8, u8, u8, u8) is ok
+                ty::Array(t, _clen)
+                    if matches!(
+                        t.kind(),
+                        ty::Int(_) | ty::Uint(_) | ty::Float(_) | ty::RawPtr(_)
+                    ) =>
+                { /* struct([f32; 4]) is ok */ }
                 _ => {
                     struct_span_err!(
                         tcx.sess,