diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
index f685851e40..bf12ba803b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iexport.go
@@ -1735,6 +1735,8 @@ func (w *exportWriter) expr(n ir.Node) {
 		n := n.(*ir.Name)
 		if (n.Class == ir.PEXTERN || n.Class == ir.PFUNC) && !ir.IsBlank(n) {
 			w.op(ir.ONONAME)
+			// Indicate that this is not an OKEY entry.
+			w.bool(false)
 			w.qualifiedIdent(n)
 			if go117ExportTypes {
 				w.typ(n.Type())
@@ -1761,7 +1763,9 @@ func (w *exportWriter) expr(n ir.Node) {
 
 	case ir.ONONAME:
 		w.op(ir.ONONAME)
-		// This should only be for OKEY nodes in generic functions
+		// This can only be for OKEY nodes in generic functions. Mark it
+		// as a key entry.
+		w.bool(true)
 		s := n.Sym()
 		w.string(s.Name)
 		w.pkg(s.Pkg)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
index 26bc838ed9..09f87df580 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/iimport.go
@@ -1315,9 +1315,15 @@ func (r *importReader) node() ir.Node {
 		return n
 
 	case ir.ONONAME:
+		isKey := r.bool()
 		n := r.qualifiedIdent()
 		if go117ExportTypes {
-			n2 := Resolve(n)
+			var n2 ir.Node = n
+			// Key ONONAME entries should not be resolved - they should
+			// stay as identifiers.
+			if !isKey {
+				n2 = Resolve(n)
+			}
 			typ := r.typ()
 			if n2.Type() == nil {
 				n2.SetType(typ)
diff --git a/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/a.go b/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/a.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86062d446f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/a.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package a
+
+func F[T any]() A[T] {
+	var x A[T]
+	return x
+}
+
+type A[T any] struct {
+	b B[T]
+}
+
+func (a A[T]) M() C[T] {
+	return C[T]{
+		B: a.b,
+	}
+}
+
+type B[T any] struct{}
+
+type C[T any] struct {
+	B B[T]
+}
diff --git a/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/main.go b/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3725e5591e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/typeparam/issue49497.dir/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+import "a"
+
+func main() {
+	a.F[string]()
+}
diff --git a/test/typeparam/issue49497.go b/test/typeparam/issue49497.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76930e5e4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/typeparam/issue49497.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// rundir -G=3
+
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package ignored