diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 921337583f9898aa102b7f9f6cda70d06e1cb52b..dbfd8e9fe9bb0d469d0ad612157e14495c240b3f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ Python 2.7 Conda:
     reports:
       junit: test/pytest.xml
 
-Python 3.7:
+Python 3:
   script:
-  - py_version=3.7
+  - PY_EXE=python3
   - EXTRA_INSTALL="numpy sympy pexpect"
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-and-test-py-project.sh
   - ". ./build-and-test-py-project.sh"
   tags:
-  - python3.7
+  - python3
   - maxima
   except:
   - tags
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Python 3.7:
     reports:
       junit: test/pytest.xml
 
-Python 3.6 Conda:
+Python 3 Conda:
   script:
   - CONDA_ENVIRONMENT=.test-py3.yml
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Python 3.6 Conda:
     reports:
       junit: test/pytest.xml
 
-Python 3.6 Apple:
+Python 3 Conda Apple:
   script:
   - CONDA_ENVIRONMENT=.test-py3.yml
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ Python 3.6 Apple:
 Pylint:
   script:
   - EXTRA_INSTALL="numpy sympy symengine scipy pexpect"
-  - py_version=3.7
+  - PY_EXE=python3
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/prepare-and-run-pylint.sh
   - ". ./prepare-and-run-pylint.sh pymbolic test/test_*.py"
   tags:
-  - python3.7
+  - python3
   except:
   - tags
 
@@ -93,6 +93,6 @@ Flake8:
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/prepare-and-run-flake8.sh
   - ". ./prepare-and-run-flake8.sh pymbolic test"
   tags:
-  - python3.5
+  - python3
   except:
   - tags
diff --git a/pymbolic/primitives.py b/pymbolic/primitives.py
index 018cbaae75ac93009fbb62901df9baf7b8ce653a..8bc804249a427014faedbd5a0a48779ad6b699ef 100644
--- a/pymbolic/primitives.py
+++ b/pymbolic/primitives.py
@@ -1696,18 +1696,24 @@ def make_common_subexpression(field, prefix=None, scope=None):
             return CommonSubexpression(field, prefix, scope)
 
 
-def make_sym_vector(name, components, var_factory=None):
+def make_sym_vector(name, components, var_factory=Variable):
     """Return an object array of *components* subscripted
     :class:`Variable` (or subclass) instances.
 
-    :arg components: The number of components in the vector.
-    :arg var_factory: The :class:`Variable` subclass to use for instantiating
-        the scalar variables.
-    """
-    if var_factory is None:
-        var_factory = Variable
+    :arg components: Either a list of indices, or an integer representing the
+        number of indices.
+    :arg var_factory: The :class:`Variable` subclass to
+        use for instantiating the scalar variables.
+
+    For example, this creates a vector with three components::
+
+        >>> make_sym_vector("vec", 3)
+        array([Subscript(Variable('vec'), 0), Subscript(Variable('vec'), 1),
+               Subscript(Variable('vec'), 2)], dtype=object)
 
-    if isinstance(components, int):
+    """
+    from numbers import Integral
+    if isinstance(components, Integral):
         components = list(range(components))
 
     from pytools.obj_array import join_fields
@@ -1715,10 +1721,7 @@ def make_sym_vector(name, components, var_factory=None):
     return join_fields(*[vfld.index(i) for i in components])
 
 
-def make_sym_array(name, shape, var_factory=None):
-    if var_factory is None:
-        var_factory = Variable
-
+def make_sym_array(name, shape, var_factory=Variable):
     vfld = var_factory(name)
     if shape == ():
         return vfld
diff --git a/test/test_pymbolic.py b/test/test_pymbolic.py
index 2cc3c82738d5a34c28b7f3ff61b1351cb7e0d581..4b358ab9f95e9702459cb5942e6935ccf6590549 100644
--- a/test/test_pymbolic.py
+++ b/test/test_pymbolic.py
@@ -574,6 +574,15 @@ def test_flop_counter():
     assert CSEAwareFlopCounter()(expr) == 4 + 2
 
 
+def test_make_sym_vector():
+    numpy = pytest.importorskip("numpy")
+    from pymbolic.primitives import make_sym_vector
+
+    assert len(make_sym_vector("vec", 2)) == 2
+    assert len(make_sym_vector("vec", numpy.int32(2))) == 2
+    assert len(make_sym_vector("vec", [1, 2, 3])) == 3
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     import sys
     if len(sys.argv) > 1: