diff --git a/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in b/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
index e1ca5cb7..0fb89186 100644
--- a/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ is_array() {
 	local v=$1
 	local ret=1
 
-	if [[ $(declare -p "$v") == declare\ -*([[:alnum:]])a*([[:alnum:]])\ * ]]; then
+	if [[ ${!v@a} = *a* ]]; then
 		ret=0
 	fi