diff --git a/libs/numpy/src/ndarray.cpp b/libs/numpy/src/ndarray.cpp
index 30f7213d..286819a2 100644
--- a/libs/numpy/src/ndarray.cpp
+++ b/libs/numpy/src/ndarray.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #define BOOST_NUMPY_INTERNAL
 #include <boost/numpy/internal.hpp>
+#include <boost/scoped_array.hpp>
 
 namespace boost 
 { 
@@ -209,10 +210,10 @@ python::object ndarray::scalarize() const
 ndarray zeros(python::tuple const & shape, dtype const & dt) 
 {
   int nd = len(shape);
-  Py_intptr_t dims[nd];
+  boost::scoped_array<Py_intptr_t> dims(new Py_intptr_t[nd]);
   for (int n=0; n<nd; ++n) dims[n] = python::extract<Py_intptr_t>(shape[n]);
   return ndarray(python::detail::new_reference
-    (PyArray_Zeros(nd, dims, detail::incref_dtype(dt), 0)));
+                 (PyArray_Zeros(nd, dims.get(), detail::incref_dtype(dt), 0)));
 }
 
 ndarray zeros(int nd, Py_intptr_t const * shape, dtype const & dt) 
@@ -224,10 +225,10 @@ ndarray zeros(int nd, Py_intptr_t const * shape, dtype const & dt)
 ndarray empty(python::tuple const & shape, dtype const & dt) 
 {
   int nd = len(shape);
-  Py_intptr_t dims[nd];
+  boost::scoped_array<Py_intptr_t> dims(new Py_intptr_t[nd]);
   for (int n=0; n<nd; ++n) dims[n] = python::extract<Py_intptr_t>(shape[n]);
   return ndarray(python::detail::new_reference
-    (PyArray_Empty(nd, dims, detail::incref_dtype(dt), 0)));    
+                 (PyArray_Empty(nd, dims.get(), detail::incref_dtype(dt), 0)));    
 }
 
 ndarray empty(int nd, Py_intptr_t const * shape, dtype const & dt)