diff --git a/src/go/ast/ast.go b/src/go/ast/ast.go
index 16da0012f5..ef207f6cac 100644
--- a/src/go/ast/ast.go
+++ b/src/go/ast/ast.go
@@ -921,12 +921,16 @@ type (
 type Constraint struct {
 	// Invariant: Param == nil || len(MNames) == len(Types)
 	// MNames entries will be nil if we have a list of types
-	Param  *Ident   // constrained type parameter; or nil (for embedded contracts)
-	MNames []*Ident // list of method names; or nil (for embedded contracts or type constraints)
-	Types  []Expr   // embedded contract (single *CallExpr), list of types, or list of method signatures (*FuncType)
+	Star   token.Pos // position of "*"; or token.NoPos if not present
+	Param  *Ident    // constrained type parameter; or nil (for embedded contracts)
+	MNames []*Ident  // list of method names; or nil (for embedded contracts or type constraints)
+	Types  []Expr    // embedded contract (single *CallExpr), list of types, or list of method signatures (*FuncType)
 }
 
 func (c *Constraint) Pos() token.Pos {
+	if c.Star.IsValid() {
+		return c.Star
+	}
 	if c.Param != nil {
 		return c.Param.Pos()
 	}
diff --git a/src/go/parser/parser.go b/src/go/parser/parser.go
index 7a8c67d08b..c94eb83b9c 100644
--- a/src/go/parser/parser.go
+++ b/src/go/parser/parser.go
@@ -2582,7 +2582,7 @@ func (p *parser) parseTypeSpec(doc *ast.CommentGroup, _ token.Pos, _ token.Token
 	return spec
 }
 
-// Constraint   = TypeParam TypeOrMethod { "," TypeOrMethod } | ContractName "(" [ TypeList [ "," ] ] ")" .
+// Constraint   = [ "*" ] TypeParam TypeOrMethod { "," TypeOrMethod } | ContractName "(" [ TypeList [ "," ] ] ")" .
 // TypeParam    = Ident .
 // TypeOrMethod = Type | MethodName Signature .
 // ContractName = TypeName.
@@ -2598,9 +2598,18 @@ func (p *parser) parseConstraint() *ast.Constraint {
 		return &ast.Constraint{Types: []ast.Expr{p.parseType(true)}}
 	}
 
+	var star token.Pos
+	if p.tok == token.MUL {
+		star = p.pos
+		p.next()
+	}
+
 	tname := p.parseTypeName(nil)
 	if p.tok == token.LPAREN {
 		// ContractName "(" [ TypeList [ "," ] ] ")"
+		if star.IsValid() {
+			p.error(star, "pointer type requires a method")
+		}
 		return &ast.Constraint{Types: []ast.Expr{p.parseTypeInstance(tname)}}
 	}
 
@@ -2627,6 +2636,10 @@ func (p *parser) parseConstraint() *ast.Constraint {
 			tparams, params := p.parseParameters(scope, methodTypeParamsOk|variadicOk, "method")
 			results := p.parseResult(scope, true)
 			typ = &ast.FuncType{Func: token.NoPos, TParams: tparams, Params: params, Results: results}
+		} else if star.IsValid() {
+			// type with (invalid) starred type parameter
+			p.error(star, "pointer type requires a method")
+			star = token.NoPos // suppress further errors
 		}
 		mnames = append(mnames, mname)
 		types = append(types, typ)
@@ -2638,7 +2651,7 @@ func (p *parser) parseConstraint() *ast.Constraint {
 	}
 
 	// param != nil
-	return &ast.Constraint{Param: param, MNames: mnames, Types: types}
+	return &ast.Constraint{Star: star, Param: param, MNames: mnames, Types: types}
 }
 
 // ContractSpec = ident "(" [ IdentList [ "," ] ] ")" "{" { Constraint ";" } "}" .
diff --git a/src/go/parser/short_test.go b/src/go/parser/short_test.go
index 8fa7d4a28a..25d061e0d3 100644
--- a/src/go/parser/short_test.go
+++ b/src/go/parser/short_test.go
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ var valids = []string{
 	`package p; contract C(T){ T int; T imported.T; T chan<-int; T m(x int) float64; C0(); imported.C1(int, T,) }`,
 	`package p; contract C(T){ T int, imported.T, chan<-int; T m(x int) float64; C0(); imported.C1(int, T,) }`,
 	`package p; contract C(T){ (C(T)); (((imported.T))) }`,
+	`package p; contract C(T){ *T m() }`,
 	`package p; func _(type T1, T2 interface{})(x T1) T2`,
 	`package p; func _(type T1 interface{ m() }, T2, T3 interface{})(x T1, y T3) T2`,
 
@@ -179,6 +180,8 @@ var invalids = []string{
 	// contracts
 	`package p; contract C(T, T /* ERROR "T redeclared" */ ) {}`,
 	`package p; contract C(T) { imported /* ERROR "expected type parameter name" */ .T int }`,
+	`package p; contract C(T) { * /* ERROR "requires a method" */ C(T) }`,
+	`package p; contract C(T) { * /* ERROR "requires a method" */ T int }`,
 	`package p; func _() { contract /* ERROR "cannot be inside function" */ C(T) { T m(); type int, float32 } }`,
 
 	// issue 8656