diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index bba758f16f..3189f77c2f 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -1975,6 +1975,9 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) assign_stmt(mut assign_stmt ast.AssignStmt) {
 					c.error('modifying variables via dereferencing can only be done in `unsafe` blocks',
 						assign_stmt.pos)
 				}
+				if is_decl {
+					c.error('non-name on the left side of `:=`', left.pos)
+				}
 			}
 			else {
 				if is_decl {
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f18057d0ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.vv:2:5: error: non-name on the left side of `:=`
+    1 | fn main() {
+    2 |     &a := 12
+      |     ^
+    3 |     (*d) := 14
+    4 | }
+vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.vv:1:1: error: non-name `(*d)` on left side of `:=`
+    1 | fn main() {
+      | ^
+    2 |     &a := 12
+    3 |     (*d) := 14
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3cfff48519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/prefix_expr_decl_assign_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+fn main() {
+    &a := 12
+    (*d) := 14
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
index bcf5c2cb9c..d32d5c1ee8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) expr(precedence int) ast.Expr {
 			p.next()
 		}
 		.minus, .amp, .mul, .not, .bit_not, .arrow {
-			// -1, -a, !x, &x, ~x
+			// -1, -a, !x, &x, ~x, <-a
 			node = p.prefix_expr()
 		}
 		.key_true, .key_false {