diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index acf94e6a0c..b594d03ff3 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -1591,6 +1591,25 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) assign_stmt(mut assign_stmt ast.AssignStmt) {
 		}
 		return
 	}
+	// Check `x := &y`
+	if right_first is ast.PrefixExpr {
+		node := right_first
+		left_first := assign_stmt.left[0]
+		if node.op == .amp && node.right is ast.Ident {
+			ident := node.right as ast.Ident
+			scope := c.file.scope.innermost(node.pos.pos)
+			if v := scope.find_var(ident.name) {
+				if left_first is ast.Ident {
+					assigned_var := left_first
+					if !v.is_mut && assigned_var.is_mut {
+						c.error('`$ident.name` is immutable, cannot have a mutable reference to it',
+							node.pos)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	//
 	is_decl := assign_stmt.op == .decl_assign
 	for i, left in assign_stmt.left {
 		is_blank_ident := left.is_blank_ident()