diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
index 96c2e02146..356fbc75f8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ func (e *escape) exprSkipInit(k hole, n ir.Node) {
 	default:
 		base.Fatalf("unexpected expr: %v", n)
 
-	case ir.OLITERAL, ir.ONIL, ir.OGETG, ir.OTYPE, ir.OMETHEXPR:
+	case ir.OLITERAL, ir.ONIL, ir.OGETG, ir.OTYPE, ir.OMETHEXPR, ir.ONAMEOFFSET:
 		// nop
 
 	case ir.ONAME:
@@ -598,10 +598,6 @@ func (e *escape) exprSkipInit(k hole, n ir.Node) {
 		}
 		e.flow(k, e.oldLoc(n))
 
-	case ir.ONAMEOFFSET:
-		n := n.(*ir.NameOffsetExpr)
-		e.expr(k, n.Name_)
-
 	case ir.OPLUS, ir.ONEG, ir.OBITNOT, ir.ONOT:
 		n := n.(*ir.UnaryExpr)
 		e.discard(n.X)
@@ -876,8 +872,7 @@ func (e *escape) addr(n ir.Node) hole {
 		}
 		k = e.oldLoc(n).asHole()
 	case ir.ONAMEOFFSET:
-		n := n.(*ir.NameOffsetExpr)
-		k = e.addr(n.Name_)
+		break
 	case ir.ODOT:
 		n := n.(*ir.SelectorExpr)
 		k = e.addr(n.X)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
index 4631476973..e24b2d5b2c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
@@ -470,8 +470,8 @@ type NameOffsetExpr struct {
 }
 
 func NewNameOffsetExpr(pos src.XPos, name *Name, offset int64, typ *types.Type) *NameOffsetExpr {
-	if name == nil || IsBlank(name) {
-		base.FatalfAt(pos, "cannot take offset of nil or blank name: %v", name)
+	if name == nil || IsBlank(name) || !(name.Op() == ONAME && name.Class == PEXTERN) {
+		base.FatalfAt(pos, "cannot take offset of nil, blank name or non-global variable: %v", name)
 	}
 	n := &NameOffsetExpr{Name_: name, Offset_: offset}
 	n.typ = typ