diff --git a/base/array.jl b/base/array.jl
index 61a3c39ca2bb7..df79d7aa96261 100644
--- a/base/array.jl
+++ b/base/array.jl
@@ -1117,12 +1117,13 @@ function _growbeg!(a::Vector, delta::Integer)
     len = length(a)
     offset = memoryrefoffset(ref)
     newlen = len + delta
-    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     # if offset is far enough advanced to fit data in existing memory without copying
     if delta <= offset - 1
         setfield!(a, :ref, @inbounds memoryref(ref, 1 - delta))
+        setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     else
         @noinline _growbeg_internal!(a, delta, len)
+        setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     end
     return
 end
@@ -1172,11 +1173,11 @@ function _growend!(a::Vector, delta::Integer)
     len = length(a)
     newlen = len + delta
     offset = memoryrefoffset(ref)
-    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     newmemlen = offset + newlen - 1
     if memlen < newmemlen
         @noinline _growend_internal!(a, delta, len)
     end
+    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     return
 end
 
@@ -1194,7 +1195,6 @@ function _growat!(a::Vector, i::Integer, delta::Integer)
     memlen = length(mem)
     newlen = len + delta
     offset = memoryrefoffset(ref)
-    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     newmemlen = offset + newlen - 1
 
     # which side would we rather grow into?
@@ -1204,11 +1204,13 @@ function _growat!(a::Vector, i::Integer, delta::Integer)
         newref = @inbounds memoryref(mem, offset - delta)
         unsafe_copyto!(newref, ref, i)
         setfield!(a, :ref, newref)
+        setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
         for j in i:i+delta-1
             @inbounds _unsetindex!(a, j)
         end
     elseif !prefer_start && memlen >= newmemlen
         unsafe_copyto!(mem, offset - 1 + delta + i, mem, offset - 1 + i, len - i + 1)
+        setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
         for j in i:i+delta-1
             @inbounds _unsetindex!(a, j)
         end
@@ -1222,6 +1224,7 @@ function _growat!(a::Vector, i::Integer, delta::Integer)
         unsafe_copyto!(newref, ref, i-1)
         unsafe_copyto!(newmem, newoffset + delta + i - 1, mem, offset + i - 1, len - i + 1)
         setfield!(a, :ref, newref)
+        setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     end
 end
 
@@ -1234,11 +1237,11 @@ function _deletebeg!(a::Vector, delta::Integer)
         @inbounds _unsetindex!(a, i)
     end
     newlen = len - delta
+    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     if newlen != 0 # if newlen==0 we could accidentally index past the memory
         newref = @inbounds memoryref(a.ref, delta + 1)
         setfield!(a, :ref, newref)
     end
-    setfield!(a, :size, (newlen,))
     return
 end
 function _deleteend!(a::Vector, delta::Integer)