diff --git a/base/abstractarray.jl b/base/abstractarray.jl
index 45aecd26a2d25..2fe9735c6a56a 100644
--- a/base/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/base/abstractarray.jl
@@ -137,13 +137,12 @@ end
     Expr(:block, Expr(:meta, :inline), ex)
 end
 
-_checkbounds(sz, i::Integer) = 1 <= i <= sz
-_checkbounds(sz, i::Real) = 1 <= to_index(i) <= sz
-_checkbounds(sz, I::AbstractVector{Bool}) = length(I) == sz
-_checkbounds(sz, r::Range{Int}) = (@_inline_meta; isempty(r) || (minimum(r) >= 1 && maximum(r) <= sz))
-_checkbounds{T<:Real}(sz, r::Range{T}) = (@_inline_meta; _checkbounds(sz, to_index(r)))
+_checkbounds(sz, i) = throw(ArgumentError("unable to check bounds for indices of type $(typeof(i))"))
+_checkbounds(sz, i::Real) = 1 <= i <= sz
 _checkbounds(sz, ::Colon) = true
-function _checkbounds{T <: Real}(sz, I::AbstractArray{T})
+_checkbounds(sz, r::Range) = (@_inline_meta; isempty(r) || (_checkbounds(sz, minimum(r)) && _checkbounds(sz,maximum(r))))
+_checkbounds(sz, I::AbstractVector{Bool}) = length(I) == sz
+function _checkbounds(sz, I::AbstractArray)
     @_inline_meta
     b = true
     for i in I
@@ -487,8 +486,9 @@ _getindex(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, I::Int) = error("indexing not defined
 function _getindex(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, I::Real...)
     @_inline_meta
     # We must check bounds for sub2ind; so we can then call unsafe_getindex
-    checkbounds(A, I...)
-    unsafe_getindex(A, sub2ind(size(A), to_indexes(I...)...))
+    J = to_indexes(I...)
+    checkbounds(A, J...)
+    unsafe_getindex(A, sub2ind(size(A), J...))
 end
 _unsafe_getindex(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, I::Int) = (@_inline_meta; getindex(A, I))
 function _unsafe_getindex(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, I::Real...)
@@ -512,19 +512,20 @@ end
         end
     else
         # Expand the last index into the appropriate number of indices
-        Isplat = Expr[:(to_index(I[$d])) for d = 1:N-1]
+        Jsplat = Expr[:(J[$d]) for d = 1:N-1]
         i = 0
         for d=N:AN
-            push!(Isplat, :(s[$(i+=1)]))
+            push!(Jsplat, :(s[$(i+=1)]))
         end
         sz = Expr(:tuple)
         sz.args = Expr[:(size(A, $d)) for d=N:AN]
         quote
             $(Expr(:meta, :inline))
             # ind2sub requires all dimensions to be nonzero, so checkbounds first
-            checkbounds(A, I...)
-            s = ind2sub($sz, to_index(I[$N]))
-            unsafe_getindex(A, $(Isplat...))
+            J = to_indexes(I...)
+            checkbounds(A, J...)
+            s = ind2sub($sz, J[$N])
+            unsafe_getindex(A, $(Jsplat...))
         end
     end
 end
@@ -583,8 +584,9 @@ _setindex!(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, v, I::Int) = error("indexed assignmen
 function _setindex!(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, v, I::Real...)
     @_inline_meta
     # We must check bounds for sub2ind; so we can then call unsafe_setindex!
-    checkbounds(A, I...)
-    unsafe_setindex!(A, v, sub2ind(size(A), to_indexes(I...)...))
+    J = to_indexes(I...)
+    checkbounds(A, J...)
+    unsafe_setindex!(A, v, sub2ind(size(A), J...))
 end
 _unsafe_setindex!(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, v, I::Int) = (@_inline_meta; setindex!(A, v, I))
 function _unsafe_setindex!(::LinearFast, A::AbstractArray, v, I::Real...)
@@ -608,18 +610,19 @@ end
         end
     else
         # Expand the last index into the appropriate number of indices
-        Isplat = Expr[:(to_index(I[$d])) for d = 1:N-1]
+        Jsplat = Expr[:(J[$d]) for d = 1:N-1]
         i = 0
         for d=N:AN
-            push!(Isplat, :(s[$(i+=1)]))
+            push!(Jsplat, :(s[$(i+=1)]))
         end
         sz = Expr(:tuple)
         sz.args = Expr[:(size(A, $d)) for d=N:AN]
         quote
             $(Expr(:meta, :inline))
-            checkbounds(A, I...)
+            J = to_indexes(I...)
+            checkbounds(A, J...)
             s = ind2sub($sz, to_index(I[$N]))
-            unsafe_setindex!(A, v, $(Isplat...))
+            unsafe_setindex!(A, v, $(Jsplat...))
         end
     end
 end
diff --git a/base/deprecated.jl b/base/deprecated.jl
index dad7aac7da3f9..522033020f820 100644
--- a/base/deprecated.jl
+++ b/base/deprecated.jl
@@ -417,16 +417,7 @@ function to_index(i::Real)
     to_index_nodep(i)
 end
 
-function to_index{T<:Real}(r::UnitRange{T})
-    depwarn("indexing with non Integer UnitRanges is deprecated", :to_index)
-    to_index_nodep(first(r)):to_index_nodep(last(r))
-end
-
-function to_index{T<:Real}(r::StepRange{T})
-    depwarn("indexing with non Integer StepRanges is deprecated", :to_index)
-    to_index_nodep(first(r)):to_index_nodep(step(r)):to_index_nodep(last(r))
-end
-
+to_index{T<:Integer}(A::AbstractArray{T}) = A
 function to_index{T<:Real}(A::AbstractArray{T})
     depwarn("indexing with non Integer AbstractArrays is deprecated", :to_index)
     Int[to_index_nodep(x) for x in A]
diff --git a/base/operators.jl b/base/operators.jl
index 961e32c640539..50dd4b9e409cb 100644
--- a/base/operators.jl
+++ b/base/operators.jl
@@ -303,20 +303,15 @@ function setindex_shape_check{T}(X::AbstractArray{T,2}, i::Int, j::Int)
 end
 setindex_shape_check(X, I::Int...) = nothing # Non-arrays broadcast to all idxs
 
-# convert to integer index
+# convert to a supported index type (Array, Colon, or Int)
 to_index(i::Int) = i
 to_index(i::Integer) = convert(Int,i)::Int
-to_index(r::UnitRange{Int}) = r
-to_index(r::Range{Int}) = r
-to_index(I::UnitRange{Bool}) = find(I)
-to_index(I::Range{Bool}) = find(I)
-to_index{T<:Integer}(r::UnitRange{T}) = to_index(first(r)):to_index(last(r))
-to_index{T<:Integer}(r::StepRange{T}) = to_index(first(r)):to_index(step(r)):to_index(last(r))
 to_index(c::Colon) = c
 to_index(I::AbstractArray{Bool}) = find(I)
-to_index(A::AbstractArray{Int}) = A
-to_index{T<:Integer}(A::AbstractArray{T}) = [to_index(x) for x in A]
-to_index(i) = error("invalid index: $i")
+to_index(A::AbstractArray) = A
+to_index{T<:AbstractArray}(A::AbstractArray{T}) = throw(ArgumentError("invalid index: $A"))
+to_index(A::AbstractArray{Colon}) = throw(ArgumentError("invalid index: $A"))
+to_index(i) = throw(ArgumentError("invalid index: $i"))
 
 to_indexes() = ()
 to_indexes(i1) = (to_index(i1),)
diff --git a/test/abstractarray.jl b/test/abstractarray.jl
index 8b808de58cbb6..af13bdaaf2434 100644
--- a/test/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/test/abstractarray.jl
@@ -193,6 +193,9 @@ function test_vector_indexing{T}(::Type{T}, shape, ::Type{TestAbstractArray})
     @test B[1:end] == A[1:end] == collect(1:N)
     @test B[:,:] == A[:,:] == reshape(1:N, shape[1], prod(shape[2:end]))
     @test B[1:end,1:end] == A[1:end,1:end] == reshape(1:N, shape[1], prod(shape[2:end]))
+    # Test with containers that aren't Int[]
+    @test B[[]] == A[[]] == []
+    @test B[convert(Array{Any}, idxs)] == A[convert(Array{Any}, idxs)] == idxs
 end
 
 function test_primitives{T}(::Type{T}, shape, ::Type{TestAbstractArray})