http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=51802
--- Comment #1 from Tobias Burnus <burnus at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-03-20 08:42:11 UTC --- That that changing this will break the ABI. Thus, it can only be done when we have to break the ABI. That will happen for the new array descriptor. (This bug is listed at http://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/LibgfortranAbiCleanup)