diff --git a/src/libarena/lib.rs b/src/libarena/lib.rs
index b299b786b35..556757ec84d 100644
--- a/src/libarena/lib.rs
+++ b/src/libarena/lib.rs
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@
 //! of individual objects while the arena itself is still alive. The benefit
 //! of an arena is very fast allocation; just a pointer bump.
 //!
-//! This crate has two arenas implemented: `TypedArena`, which is a simpler
-//! arena but can only hold objects of a single type, and `Arena`, which is a
-//! more complex, slower arena which can hold objects of any type.
+//! This crate implements `TypedArena`, a simple arena that can only hold
+//! objects of a single type.
 
 #![crate_name = "arena"]
 #![unstable(feature = "rustc_private", issue = "27812")]
@@ -51,8 +50,11 @@ use std::ptr;
 use alloc::heap;
 use alloc::raw_vec::RawVec;
 
-/// A faster arena that can hold objects of only one type.
+/// An arena that can hold objects of only one type.
 pub struct TypedArena<T> {
+    /// The capacity of the first chunk (once it is allocated).
+    first_chunk_capacity: usize,
+
     /// A pointer to the next object to be allocated.
     ptr: Cell<*mut T>,
 
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ pub struct TypedArena<T> {
     /// reached, a new chunk is allocated.
     end: Cell<*mut T>,
 
-    /// A vector arena segments.
+    /// A vector of arena chunks.
     chunks: RefCell<Vec<TypedArenaChunk<T>>>,
 
     /// Marker indicating that dropping the arena causes its owned
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ pub struct TypedArena<T> {
 }
 
 struct TypedArenaChunk<T> {
-    /// Pointer to the next arena segment.
+    /// The raw storage for the arena chunk.
     storage: RawVec<T>,
 }
 
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ impl<T> TypedArenaChunk<T> {
 const PAGE: usize = 4096;
 
 impl<T> TypedArena<T> {
-    /// Creates a new `TypedArena` with preallocated space for many objects.
+    /// Creates a new `TypedArena`.
     #[inline]
     pub fn new() -> TypedArena<T> {
         // Reserve at least one page.
@@ -125,18 +127,18 @@ impl<T> TypedArena<T> {
         TypedArena::with_capacity(PAGE / elem_size)
     }
 
-    /// Creates a new `TypedArena` with preallocated space for the given number of
-    /// objects.
+    /// Creates a new `TypedArena`. Each chunk used within the arena will have
+    /// space for at least the given number of objects.
     #[inline]
     pub fn with_capacity(capacity: usize) -> TypedArena<T> {
-        unsafe {
-            let chunk = TypedArenaChunk::<T>::new(cmp::max(1, capacity));
-            TypedArena {
-                ptr: Cell::new(chunk.start()),
-                end: Cell::new(chunk.end()),
-                chunks: RefCell::new(vec![chunk]),
-                _own: PhantomData,
-            }
+        TypedArena {
+            first_chunk_capacity: cmp::max(1, capacity),
+            // We set both `ptr` and `end` to 0 so that the first call to
+            // alloc() will trigger a grow().
+            ptr: Cell::new(0 as *mut T),
+            end: Cell::new(0 as *mut T),
+            chunks: RefCell::new(vec![]),
+            _own: PhantomData,
         }
     }
 
@@ -171,16 +173,22 @@ impl<T> TypedArena<T> {
     fn grow(&self) {
         unsafe {
             let mut chunks = self.chunks.borrow_mut();
-            let prev_capacity = chunks.last().unwrap().storage.cap();
-            let new_capacity = prev_capacity.checked_mul(2).unwrap();
-            if chunks.last_mut().unwrap().storage.double_in_place() {
-                self.end.set(chunks.last().unwrap().end());
+            let (chunk, new_capacity);
+            if let Some(last_chunk) = chunks.last_mut() {
+                if last_chunk.storage.double_in_place() {
+                    self.end.set(last_chunk.end());
+                    return;
+                } else {
+                    let prev_capacity = last_chunk.storage.cap();
+                    new_capacity = prev_capacity.checked_mul(2).unwrap();
+                }
             } else {
-                let chunk = TypedArenaChunk::<T>::new(new_capacity);
-                self.ptr.set(chunk.start());
-                self.end.set(chunk.end());
-                chunks.push(chunk);
+                new_capacity = self.first_chunk_capacity;
             }
+            chunk = TypedArenaChunk::<T>::new(new_capacity);
+            self.ptr.set(chunk.start());
+            self.end.set(chunk.end());
+            chunks.push(chunk);
         }
     }
     /// Clears the arena. Deallocates all but the longest chunk which may be reused.
@@ -188,12 +196,14 @@ impl<T> TypedArena<T> {
         unsafe {
             // Clear the last chunk, which is partially filled.
             let mut chunks_borrow = self.chunks.borrow_mut();
-            let last_idx = chunks_borrow.len() - 1;
-            self.clear_last_chunk(&mut chunks_borrow[last_idx]);
-            // If `T` is ZST, code below has no effect.
-            for mut chunk in chunks_borrow.drain(..last_idx) {
-                let cap = chunk.storage.cap();
-                chunk.destroy(cap);
+            if let Some(mut last_chunk) = chunks_borrow.pop() {
+                self.clear_last_chunk(&mut last_chunk);
+                // If `T` is ZST, code below has no effect.
+                for mut chunk in chunks_borrow.drain(..) {
+                    let cap = chunk.storage.cap();
+                    chunk.destroy(cap);
+                }
+                chunks_borrow.push(last_chunk);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -230,13 +240,14 @@ impl<T> Drop for TypedArena<T> {
         unsafe {
             // Determine how much was filled.
             let mut chunks_borrow = self.chunks.borrow_mut();
-            let mut last_chunk = chunks_borrow.pop().unwrap();
-            // Drop the contents of the last chunk.
-            self.clear_last_chunk(&mut last_chunk);
-            // The last chunk will be dropped. Destroy all other chunks.
-            for chunk in chunks_borrow.iter_mut() {
-                let cap = chunk.storage.cap();
-                chunk.destroy(cap);
+            if let Some(mut last_chunk) = chunks_borrow.pop() {
+                // Drop the contents of the last chunk.
+                self.clear_last_chunk(&mut last_chunk);
+                // The last chunk will be dropped. Destroy all other chunks.
+                for chunk in chunks_borrow.iter_mut() {
+                    let cap = chunk.storage.cap();
+                    chunk.destroy(cap);
+                }
             }
             // RawVec handles deallocation of `last_chunk` and `self.chunks`.
         }
@@ -260,6 +271,12 @@ mod tests {
         z: i32,
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    pub fn test_unused() {
+        let arena: TypedArena<Point> = TypedArena::new();
+        assert!(arena.chunks.borrow().is_empty());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_arena_alloc_nested() {
         struct Inner {