diff --git a/pytools/obj_array.py b/pytools/obj_array.py
index d91a24cda76412a0567fde0dbaf12d74045d55f7..df827c21349107b9205efc90f98545c2c74d38a9 100644
--- a/pytools/obj_array.py
+++ b/pytools/obj_array.py
@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ def make_obj_array(res_list):
     can be undesirable.
     """
     result = np.empty((len(res_list),), dtype=object)
-    result[:] = res_list
+
+    # 'result[:] = res_list' may look tempting, however:
+    # https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/16564
+    for idx in range(len(res_list)):
+        result[idx] = res_list[idx]
+
     return result
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_pytools.py b/test/test_pytools.py
index 4a47a067c2af96fbcbc47214f9b245301ce16bca..939a0f57970ffb0cba1bc59bf56d8b510f068910 100644
--- a/test/test_pytools.py
+++ b/test/test_pytools.py
@@ -261,6 +261,30 @@ def test_natsorted():
     assert natsorted([10, 1, 9], key=lambda d: "x%d" % d) == [1, 9, 10]
 
 
+# {{{ object array iteration behavior
+
+class FakeArray:
+    nopes = 0
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        FakeArray.nopes += 1
+        return 10
+
+    def __getitem__(self, idx):
+        FakeArray.nopes += 1
+        if idx > 10:
+            raise IndexError()
+
+
+def test_make_obj_array_iteration():
+    from pytools.obj_array import make_obj_array
+    make_obj_array([FakeArray()])
+
+    assert FakeArray.nopes == 0, FakeArray.nopes
+
+# }}}
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
         exec(sys.argv[1])