diff --git a/plan9/syscall.go b/plan9/syscall.go
index 03230010..b9941873 100644
--- a/plan9/syscall.go
+++ b/plan9/syscall.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 // holds a value of type syscall.ErrorString.
 package plan9
 
+import "unsafe"
+
 // ByteSliceFromString returns a NUL-terminated slice of bytes
 // containing the text of s. If s contains a NUL byte at any
 // location, it returns (nil, EINVAL).
@@ -65,3 +67,8 @@ func (ts *Timespec) Nano() int64 {
 func (tv *Timeval) Nano() int64 {
 	return int64(tv.Sec)*1e9 + int64(tv.Usec)*1000
 }
+
+// use is a no-op, but the compiler cannot see that it is.
+// Calling use(p) ensures that p is kept live until that point.
+//go:noescape
+func use(p unsafe.Pointer)