diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7c65f354a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.v:2:2: error: const can only be defined at the top level (outside of functions)
+    1 | fn main() {
+    2 |     const (a = 1)
+      |     ~~~~~
+    3 |     println(a)
+    4 | }
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6da548076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/const_define_in_function_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+fn main() {
+	const (a = 1)
+	println(a)
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index f0da9bfe70..69fc8e15b6 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -504,6 +504,9 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) stmt() ast.Stmt {
 			}
 		}
 		else {
+			if p.tok.kind == .key_const {
+				p.error_with_pos('const can only be defined at the top level (outside of functions)', p.tok.position())
+			}
 			epos := p.tok.position()
 			return ast.ExprStmt{
 				expr: p.expr(0)