diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/api_test.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/api_test.go
index c90f2e7510..873390c1e9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/api_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/api_test.go
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ func TestDefsInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		{`package p2; var x int`, `x`, `var p2.x int`},
 		{`package p3; type x int`, `x`, `type p3.x int`},
 		{`package p4; func f()`, `f`, `func p4.f()`},
+		{`package p5; func f() int { x, _ := 1, 2; return x }`, `_`, `var _ int`},
 
 		// generic types must be sanitized
 		// (need to use sufficiently nested types to provoke unexpanded types)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
index ec9fdbba62..583118c8b2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
@@ -344,17 +344,15 @@ func (check *Checker) shortVarDecl(pos syntax.Pos, lhs, rhs []syntax.Expr) {
 		}
 
 		name := ident.Value
-		if name == "_" {
-			continue
+		if name != "_" {
+			if seen[name] {
+				check.errorf(lhs, "%s repeated on left side of :=", lhs)
+				hasErr = true
+				continue
+			}
+			seen[name] = true
 		}
 
-		if seen[name] {
-			check.errorf(lhs, "%s repeated on left side of :=", lhs)
-			hasErr = true
-			continue
-		}
-		seen[name] = true
-
 		// Use the correct obj if the ident is redeclared. The
 		// variable's scope starts after the declaration; so we
 		// must use Scope.Lookup here and call Scope.Insert
@@ -374,7 +372,9 @@ func (check *Checker) shortVarDecl(pos syntax.Pos, lhs, rhs []syntax.Expr) {
 		// declare new variable
 		obj := NewVar(ident.Pos(), check.pkg, name, nil)
 		lhsVars[i] = obj
-		newVars = append(newVars, obj)
+		if name != "_" {
+			newVars = append(newVars, obj)
+		}
 		check.recordDef(ident, obj)
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/go/types/api_test.go b/src/go/types/api_test.go
index 5ac91bedd2..f37b91d5a4 100644
--- a/src/go/types/api_test.go
+++ b/src/go/types/api_test.go
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ func TestDefsInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		{`package p2; var x int`, `x`, `var p2.x int`},
 		{`package p3; type x int`, `x`, `type p3.x int`},
 		{`package p4; func f()`, `f`, `func p4.f()`},
+		{`package p5; func f() int { x, _ := 1, 2; return x }`, `_`, `var _ int`},
 
 		// generic types must be sanitized
 		// (need to use sufficiently nested types to provoke unexpanded types)
diff --git a/src/go/types/assignments.go b/src/go/types/assignments.go
index 3aa06e8939..18eae62184 100644
--- a/src/go/types/assignments.go
+++ b/src/go/types/assignments.go
@@ -308,40 +308,60 @@ func (check *Checker) shortVarDecl(pos positioner, lhs, rhs []ast.Expr) {
 	scope := check.scope
 
 	// collect lhs variables
-	var newVars []*Var
-	var lhsVars = make([]*Var, len(lhs))
+	seen := make(map[string]bool, len(lhs))
+	lhsVars := make([]*Var, len(lhs))
+	newVars := make([]*Var, 0, len(lhs))
+	hasErr := false
 	for i, lhs := range lhs {
-		var obj *Var
-		if ident, _ := lhs.(*ast.Ident); ident != nil {
-			// Use the correct obj if the ident is redeclared. The
-			// variable's scope starts after the declaration; so we
-			// must use Scope.Lookup here and call Scope.Insert
-			// (via check.declare) later.
-			name := ident.Name
-			if alt := scope.Lookup(name); alt != nil {
-				// redeclared object must be a variable
-				if alt, _ := alt.(*Var); alt != nil {
-					obj = alt
-				} else {
-					check.errorf(lhs, _UnassignableOperand, "cannot assign to %s", lhs)
-				}
-				check.recordUse(ident, alt)
-			} else {
-				// declare new variable, possibly a blank (_) variable
-				obj = NewVar(ident.Pos(), check.pkg, name, nil)
-				if name != "_" {
-					newVars = append(newVars, obj)
-				}
-				check.recordDef(ident, obj)
-			}
-		} else {
+		ident, _ := lhs.(*ast.Ident)
+		if ident == nil {
 			check.useLHS(lhs)
-			check.invalidAST(lhs, "cannot declare %s", lhs)
+			// TODO(rFindley) this is redundant with a parser error. Consider omitting?
+			check.errorf(lhs, _BadDecl, "non-name %s on left side of :=", lhs)
+			hasErr = true
+			continue
 		}
-		if obj == nil {
-			obj = NewVar(lhs.Pos(), check.pkg, "_", nil) // dummy variable
+
+		name := ident.Name
+		if name != "_" {
+			if seen[name] {
+				check.errorf(lhs, _RepeatedDecl, "%s repeated on left side of :=", lhs)
+				hasErr = true
+				continue
+			}
+			seen[name] = true
 		}
+
+		// Use the correct obj if the ident is redeclared. The
+		// variable's scope starts after the declaration; so we
+		// must use Scope.Lookup here and call Scope.Insert
+		// (via check.declare) later.
+		if alt := scope.Lookup(name); alt != nil {
+			check.recordUse(ident, alt)
+			// redeclared object must be a variable
+			if obj, _ := alt.(*Var); obj != nil {
+				lhsVars[i] = obj
+			} else {
+				check.errorf(lhs, _UnassignableOperand, "cannot assign to %s", lhs)
+				hasErr = true
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// declare new variable
+		obj := NewVar(ident.Pos(), check.pkg, name, nil)
 		lhsVars[i] = obj
+		if name != "_" {
+			newVars = append(newVars, obj)
+		}
+		check.recordDef(ident, obj)
+	}
+
+	// create dummy variables where the lhs is invalid
+	for i, obj := range lhsVars {
+		if obj == nil {
+			lhsVars[i] = NewVar(lhs[i].Pos(), check.pkg, "_", nil)
+		}
 	}
 
 	check.initVars(lhsVars, rhs, token.NoPos)
@@ -349,17 +369,18 @@ func (check *Checker) shortVarDecl(pos positioner, lhs, rhs []ast.Expr) {
 	// process function literals in rhs expressions before scope changes
 	check.processDelayed(top)
 
-	// declare new variables
-	if len(newVars) > 0 {
-		// spec: "The scope of a constant or variable identifier declared inside
-		// a function begins at the end of the ConstSpec or VarSpec (ShortVarDecl
-		// for short variable declarations) and ends at the end of the innermost
-		// containing block."
-		scopePos := rhs[len(rhs)-1].End()
-		for _, obj := range newVars {
-			check.declare(scope, nil, obj, scopePos) // recordObject already called
-		}
-	} else {
+	if len(newVars) == 0 && !hasErr {
 		check.softErrorf(pos, _NoNewVar, "no new variables on left side of :=")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// declare new variables
+	// spec: "The scope of a constant or variable identifier declared inside
+	// a function begins at the end of the ConstSpec or VarSpec (ShortVarDecl
+	// for short variable declarations) and ends at the end of the innermost
+	// containing block."
+	scopePos := rhs[len(rhs)-1].End()
+	for _, obj := range newVars {
+		check.declare(scope, nil, obj, scopePos) // id = nil: recordDef already called
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/errorcodes.go b/src/go/types/errorcodes.go
index 1106cd986f..a33a4e7dce 100644
--- a/src/go/types/errorcodes.go
+++ b/src/go/types/errorcodes.go
@@ -1357,6 +1357,15 @@ const (
 	// _BadDecl occurs when a declaration has invalid syntax.
 	_BadDecl
 
+	// _RepeatedDecl occurs when an identifier occurs more than once on the left
+	// hand side of a short variable declaration.
+	//
+	// Example:
+	//  func _() {
+	//  	x, y, y := 1, 2, 3
+	//  }
+	_RepeatedDecl
+
 	// _Todo is a placeholder for error codes that have not been decided.
 	// TODO(rFindley) remove this error code after deciding on errors for generics code.
 	_Todo
diff --git a/src/go/types/fixedbugs/issue43087.src b/src/go/types/fixedbugs/issue43087.src
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef37b4aa29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/go/types/fixedbugs/issue43087.src
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// 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 p
+
+func _() {
+	a, b, b /* ERROR b repeated on left side of := */ := 1, 2, 3
+	_ = a
+	_ = b
+}
+
+func _() {
+	a, _, _ := 1, 2, 3 // multiple _'s ok
+	_ = a
+}
+
+func _() {
+	var b int
+	a, b, b /* ERROR b repeated on left side of := */ := 1, 2, 3
+	_ = a
+	_ = b
+}
+
+func _() {
+	var a []int
+	a /* ERROR expected identifier */ /* ERROR non-name .* on left side of := */ [0], b := 1, 2
+	_ = a
+	_ = b
+}
+
+func _() {
+	var a int
+	a, a /* ERROR a repeated on left side of := */ := 1, 2
+	_ = a
+}
+
+func _() {
+	var a, b int
+	a, b := /* ERROR no new variables on left side of := */ 1, 2
+	_ = a
+	_ = b
+}
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/stmt0.src b/src/go/types/testdata/stmt0.src
index 2602d7dacf..76b6e70d63 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/stmt0.src
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/stmt0.src
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ func issue6487() {
 }
 
 func issue6766a() {
-	a, a /* ERROR redeclared */ := 1, 2
+	a, a /* ERROR a repeated on left side of := */ := 1, 2
 	_ = a
-	a, b, b /* ERROR redeclared */ := 1, 2, 3
+	a, b, b /* ERROR b repeated on left side of := */ := 1, 2, 3
 	_ = b
-	c, c /* ERROR redeclared */, b := 1, 2, 3
+	c, c /* ERROR c repeated on left side of := */, b := 1, 2, 3
 	_ = c
 	a, b := /* ERROR no new variables */ 1, 2
 }