diff --git a/src/components/gfx/render_task.rs b/src/components/gfx/render_task.rs
index 0ef051f1413..170c8ad6158 100644
--- a/src/components/gfx/render_task.rs
+++ b/src/components/gfx/render_task.rs
@@ -58,13 +58,28 @@ pub fn BufferRequest(screen_rect: Rect<uint>, page_rect: Rect<f32>) -> BufferReq
     }
 }
 
+// FIXME(rust#9155): this should be a newtype struct, but
+// generic newtypes ICE when compiled cross-crate
 #[deriving(Clone)]
-pub struct RenderChan<T>{chan:SharedChan<Msg<T>>}
-impl<T> RenderChan<T> {
+pub struct RenderChan<T> {
+    chan: SharedChan<Msg<T>>,
+}
+impl<T: Send> RenderChan<T> {
     pub fn new(chan: Chan<Msg<T>>) -> RenderChan<T> {
-        RenderChan{chan:SharedChan::new(chan)}
+        RenderChan {
+            chan: SharedChan::new(chan),
+        }
+    }
+}
+impl<T: Send> GenericChan<Msg<T>> for RenderChan<T> {
+    fn send(&self, msg: Msg<T>) {
+        assert!(self.try_send(msg), "RenderChan.send: render port closed")
+    }
+}
+impl<T: Send> GenericSmartChan<Msg<T>> for RenderChan<T> {
+    fn try_send(&self, msg: Msg<T>) -> bool {
+        self.chan.try_send(msg)
     }
-    pub fn send(&self, msg: Msg<T>) { self.chan.send(msg) }
 }
 
 struct RenderTask<C,T> {
diff --git a/src/components/main/constellation.rs b/src/components/main/constellation.rs
index 555325b80c0..fd477790193 100644
--- a/src/components/main/constellation.rs
+++ b/src/components/main/constellation.rs
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ impl Constellation {
                     if pipeline.subpage_id.expect("Constellation: child frame does not have a
                         subpage id. This should not be possible.") == subpage_id {
                         child_frame_tree.rect = Some(rect.clone());
-                        let Rect { size: Size2D { width, height }, _ } = rect;
+                        let Size2D { width, height } = rect.size;
                         pipeline.script_chan.send(ResizeMsg(pipeline.id.clone(), Size2D {
                             width:  width  as uint,
                             height: height as uint