diff --git a/Data/Array/Repa.hs b/Data/Array/Repa.hs
--- a/Data/Array/Repa.hs
+++ b/Data/Array/Repa.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-
+{-# OPTIONS -fno-warn-unused-imports #-}
 -- | Repa arrays are wrappers around a linear structure that holds the element
 --   data. The representation tag determines what structure holds the data.
 --
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 --
 --   * `P`  -- Arrays that are partitioned into several representations.
 --
+--   * `S`  -- Hints that computing this array is a small amount of work that should
+--             not be done in parallel.
+-- 
 --   * `X`  -- Arrays whose elements are all undefined.
 --
 --  Array fusion is achieved via the delayed (`D`) and cursored (`C`)
@@ -163,9 +166,11 @@
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Unboxed
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.ByteString
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.ForeignPtr
+import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Cursored
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Partitioned
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Undefined           ()
+import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
 import Data.Array.Repa.Operators.Mapping
 import Data.Array.Repa.Operators.Traversal
 import Data.Array.Repa.Operators.IndexSpace
diff --git a/Data/Array/Repa/Operators/Mapping.hs b/Data/Array/Repa/Operators/Mapping.hs
--- a/Data/Array/Repa/Operators/Mapping.hs
+++ b/Data/Array/Repa/Operators/Mapping.hs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Cursored
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Delayed
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.ForeignPtr
+import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Partitioned
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Unboxed
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Undefined
@@ -149,14 +150,26 @@
         , Combine r12 a r22 b)
        => Combine (P r11 r12) a (P r21 r22) b where
 
- {-# INLINE [3] cmap #-}
  cmap f (APart sh range arr1 arr2)
         = APart sh range (cmap f arr1) (cmap f arr2)
+ {-# INLINE [3] cmap #-}
 
- {-# INLINE [2] czipWith #-}
  czipWith f arr1 (APart sh range arr21 arr22)
         = APart sh range (czipWith f arr1 arr21)
                          (czipWith f arr1 arr22)
+ {-# INLINE [2] czipWith #-}
+
+
+-- Small ------------------------------
+instance   Combine r1 a r2 b
+        => Combine (S r1) a (S r2) b where
+ cmap f (ASmall arr1)
+        = ASmall (cmap f arr1)
+ {-# INLINE [3] cmap #-}
+
+ czipWith f arr1 (ASmall arr2)
+        = ASmall (czipWith f arr1 arr2)
+ {-# INLINE [3] czipWith #-}
 
 
 -- Unboxed ----------------------------
diff --git a/Data/Array/Repa/Repr/Hint.hs b/Data/Array/Repa/Repr/Hint.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Data/Array/Repa/Repr/Hint.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+
+module Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
+        (S, Array (..), hintSmall)
+where
+import Data.Array.Repa.Base
+import Data.Array.Repa.Eval.Fill
+import Data.Array.Repa.Shape
+
+-- | Hints that evaluating this array is only a small amount of work.
+--   It will be evaluated sequentially in the main thread, instead of
+--   in parallel on the gang. This avoids the associated scheduling overhead.
+data S r1
+
+data instance Array (S r1) sh e
+        = ASmall !(Array r1 sh e)
+
+-- | Wrap an array with a smallness hint.
+hintSmall :: Array r1 sh e -> Array (S r1) sh e
+hintSmall = ASmall
+
+
+instance Repr r1 a => Repr (S r1) a where
+ extent (ASmall arr) 
+        = extent arr
+ {-# INLINE extent #-}
+
+ index  (ASmall arr) ix
+        = index arr ix
+ {-# INLINE index #-}
+
+ unsafeIndex (ASmall arr) ix
+        = unsafeIndex arr ix
+ {-# INLINE unsafeIndex #-}
+
+ linearIndex (ASmall arr) ix
+        = linearIndex arr ix
+ {-# INLINE linearIndex #-}
+
+ unsafeLinearIndex (ASmall arr) ix
+        = unsafeLinearIndex arr ix
+ {-# INLINE unsafeLinearIndex #-}
+
+ deepSeqArray (ASmall arr) x
+        = deepSeqArray arr x
+ {-# INLINE deepSeqArray #-}
+
+
+-- Fill -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+instance ( Shape sh, Fill r1 r2 sh e) 
+        => Fill (S r1) r2 sh e where
+ fillP (ASmall arr) marr
+  = fillS arr marr
+ {-# INLINE fillP #-}
+
+ fillS (ASmall arr) marr
+  = fillS arr marr
+ {-# INLINE fillS #-}
+
+
+-- FillRange ------------------------------------------------------------------
+instance ( Shape sh, FillRange r1 r2 sh e)
+        => FillRange (S r1) r2 sh e where
+ fillRangeP (ASmall arr) marr ix1 ix2
+  = fillRangeS arr marr ix1 ix2
+ {-# INLINE fillRangeP #-}
+
+ fillRangeS (ASmall arr) marr ix1 ix2
+  = fillRangeS arr marr ix1 ix2
+ {-# INLINE fillRangeS #-}
diff --git a/Data/Array/Repa/Stencil/Dim2.hs b/Data/Array/Repa/Stencil/Dim2.hs
--- a/Data/Array/Repa/Stencil/Dim2.hs
+++ b/Data/Array/Repa/Stencil/Dim2.hs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import Data.Array.Repa
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Cursored
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Partitioned
+import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
 import Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Undefined
 import Data.Array.Repa.Stencil.Base
 import Data.Array.Repa.Stencil.Template
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@
 data Cursor
 	= Cursor Int
 
-type PC5 = P C (P D (P D (P D (P D X))))
+type PC5 = P C (P (S D) (P (S D) (P (S D) (P (S D) X))))
 
 
 -- Wrappers -------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@
         arrInternal     = makeCursored (extent arr) makec shiftc getInner' 
         
         {-# INLINE arrBorder #-}
-        arrBorder       = fromFunction (extent arr) getBorder'
+        arrBorder       = ASmall (fromFunction (extent arr) getBorder')
 
    in
     --  internal region
diff --git a/repa.cabal b/repa.cabal
--- a/repa.cabal
+++ b/repa.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                repa
-Version:             3.1.0.1
+Version:             3.1.1.1
 License:             BSD3
 License-file:        LICENSE
 Author:              The DPH Team
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 Library
   Build-Depends: 
-        base                 == 4.5.*,
+        base                 == 4.*,
         ghc-prim             == 0.2.*,
         vector               == 0.9.*,
         bytestring           == 0.9.*,
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Cursored
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Delayed
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.ForeignPtr
+        Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Hint
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Partitioned
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Unboxed
         Data.Array.Repa.Repr.Undefined