diff --git a/src/lib/task.rs b/src/lib/task.rs
index 834e09db267..434092b524a 100644
--- a/src/lib/task.rs
+++ b/src/lib/task.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ native "rust" mod rustrt {
 
 type rust_task = {
     mutable notify_enabled : u8,
-    mutable notify_chan : _chan[task_notification]
+    mutable notify_chan : _chan<task_notification>
 };
 
 type task = int;
@@ -83,13 +83,13 @@ fn spawn(thunk : fn() -> ()) -> task {
     spawn_inner(thunk, none)
 }
 
-fn spawn_notify(thunk : fn() -> (), notify : _chan[task_notification])
+fn spawn_notify(thunk : fn() -> (), notify : _chan<task_notification>)
     -> task {
     spawn_inner(thunk, some(notify))
 }
 
 // FIXME: make this a fn~ once those are supported.
-fn spawn_inner(thunk : fn() -> (), notify : option[_chan[task_notification]])
+fn spawn_inner(thunk : fn() -> (), notify : option<_chan<task_notification>>)
     -> task_id {
     let id = rustrt::new_task();
 
diff --git a/src/test/stdtest/task.rs b/src/test/stdtest/task.rs
index b97271bf4be..c46944bdeb2 100644
--- a/src/test/stdtest/task.rs
+++ b/src/test/stdtest/task.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ fn test_lib_spawn2() {
 fn test_join_chan() {
     fn winner() { }
 
-    let p = comm::mk_port[task::task_notification]();
+    let p = comm::mk_port::<task::task_notification>();
     task::spawn_notify(bind winner(), p.mk_chan());
     let s = p.recv();
     log_err "received task status message";
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ fn test_join_chan() {
 fn test_join_chan_fail() {
     fn failer() { task::unsupervise(); fail }
 
-    let p = comm::mk_port[task::task_notification]();
+    let p = comm::mk_port::<task::task_notification>();
     task::spawn_notify(bind failer(), p.mk_chan());
     let s = p.recv();
     log_err "received task status message";