diff --git a/src/array.jl b/src/array.jl
index d66396bfce..03078e0024 100644
--- a/src/array.jl
+++ b/src/array.jl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export CuArray, CuVector, CuMatrix, CuVecOrMat, cu, is_device, is_unified, is_host
+export CuArray, CuScalar, CuVector, CuMatrix, CuVecOrMat, cu, is_device, is_unified, is_host
 
 
 ## array type
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ end
 
 ## convenience constructors
 
+const CuScalar{T} = CuArray{T,0}
 const CuVector{T} = CuArray{T,1}
 const CuMatrix{T} = CuArray{T,2}
 const CuVecOrMat{T} = Union{CuVector{T},CuMatrix{T}}
@@ -371,7 +372,7 @@ is_host(a::CuArray) = memory_type(a) == HostMemory
 
 export DenseCuArray, DenseCuVector, DenseCuMatrix, DenseCuVecOrMat,
        StridedCuArray, StridedCuVector, StridedCuMatrix, StridedCuVecOrMat,
-       AnyCuArray, AnyCuVector, AnyCuMatrix, AnyCuVecOrMat
+       AnyCuArray, AnyCuScalar, AnyCuVector, AnyCuMatrix, AnyCuVecOrMat
 
 # dense arrays: stored contiguously in memory
 #
@@ -426,6 +427,7 @@ end
 
 # anything that's (secretly) backed by a CuArray
 const AnyCuArray{T,N} = Union{CuArray{T,N}, WrappedArray{T,N,CuArray,CuArray{T,N}}}
+const AnyCuScalar{T} = AnyCuArray{T,0}
 const AnyCuVector{T} = AnyCuArray{T,1}
 const AnyCuMatrix{T} = AnyCuArray{T,2}
 const AnyCuVecOrMat{T} = Union{AnyCuVector{T}, AnyCuMatrix{T}}
diff --git a/src/device/array.jl b/src/device/array.jl
index 59322349c5..2d3f4e350b 100644
--- a/src/device/array.jl
+++ b/src/device/array.jl
@@ -33,9 +33,18 @@ struct CuDeviceArray{T,N,A} <: DenseArray{T,N}
         new(ptr, maxsize, dims, prod(dims))
 end
 
-const CuDeviceVector = CuDeviceArray{T,1,A} where {T,A}
-const CuDeviceMatrix = CuDeviceArray{T,2,A} where {T,A}
-
+const CuDeviceScalar{T} = CuDeviceArray{T,0,A} where {A}
+const CuDeviceVector{T} = CuDeviceArray{T,1,A} where {A}
+const CuDeviceMatrix{T} = CuDeviceArray{T,2,A} where {A}
+
+# anything that's (secretly) backed by a CuDeviceArray
+export AnyCuDeviceArray, AnyCuDeviceScalar, AnyCuDeviceVector, AnyCuDeviceMatrix, AnyCuDeviceVecOrMat
+
+const AnyCuDeviceArray{T,N} = Union{CuDeviceArray{T,N},WrappedArray{T,N,CuDeviceArray,CuDeviceArray{T,N,A}}} where {A}
+const AnyCuDeviceScalar{T} = AnyCuDeviceArray{T,0}
+const AnyCuDeviceVector{T} = AnyCuDeviceArray{T,1}
+const AnyCuDeviceMatrix{T} = AnyCuDeviceArray{T,2}
+const AnyCuDeviceVecOrMat{T} = Union{AnyCuDeviceVector{T},AnyCuDeviceMatrix{T}}
 
 ## array interface