diff --git a/src/go/types/check_test.go b/src/go/types/check_test.go
index 5b6c52fbbb..b31b5031ec 100644
--- a/src/go/types/check_test.go
+++ b/src/go/types/check_test.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ var tests = [][]string{
 	{"testdata/issue6977.src"},
 
 	// Go 2 tests (type parameters and contracts)
+	// {"testdata/tmp.go2"}, // used for ad-hoc tests - file contents transient, excluded from tests
 	{"testdata/typeparams.go2"},
 	{"testdata/typeinst.go2"},
 	{"testdata/typeinst2.go2"},
diff --git a/src/go/types/subst.go b/src/go/types/subst.go
index 8bb7be9e83..bc1d9e035c 100644
--- a/src/go/types/subst.go
+++ b/src/go/types/subst.go
@@ -96,12 +96,15 @@ func (s *subster) typ(typ Type) (res Type) {
 
 	case *Named:
 		underlying := s.typ(t.underlying)
+		//s.check.dump("  underlying = %s", underlying)
+		//s.check.dump("t.underlying = %s", t.underlying)
 		if underlying != t.underlying {
 			// create a new named type - for now use printed type in name
-			// TODO(gri) use type map to map types to indices
+			// TODO(gri) consider type map to map types to indices (on the other hand, a type string seems just as good)
 			if len(t.methods) > 0 {
 				panic("cannot handle instantiation of types with methods yet")
 			}
+			// TODO(gri) review name creation and factor out
 			name := t.obj.name + typesString(s.targs)
 			tname, found := s.check.typMap[name]
 			if !found {
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/builtins.src b/src/go/types/testdata/builtins.src
index 2de9cdb947..69cc48798e 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/builtins.src
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/builtins.src
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ func make1() {
 }
 
 func make2() {
-	f1 /* ERROR not used */ := func() (x []int) { return }
+	f1 := func() (x []int) { return }
 	_ = make(f0 /* ERROR not a type */ ())
 	_ = make(f1 /* ERROR not a type */ ())
 }
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ func new1() {
 }
 
 func new2() {
-	f1 /* ERROR not used */ := func() (x []int) { return }
+	f1 := func() (x []int) { return }
 	_ = new(f0 /* ERROR not a type */ ())
 	_ = new(f1 /* ERROR not a type */ ())
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/tmp.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/tmp.go2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b84d6eb72f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/tmp.go2
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright 2019 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
+
+type A(type P, Q) = P
+
+var x A(int, string)
+
+type T(type P) struct {
+	f A(P, string)
+}
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/typeinst.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/typeinst.go2
index a5c90c3355..18815d5e84 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/typeinst.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/typeinst.go2
@@ -42,22 +42,23 @@ type _ T1 /* ERROR got 0 arguments but 1 type parameters */ ()
 type _ T1(x /* ERROR not a type */ )
 type _ T1 /* ERROR got 2 arguments but 1 type parameters */ (int, float32)
 
-var _ A1(int) = x
-var _ A1(float32) = x // ERROR cannot use x .* as float32
+// TODO(gri) parameterized alias types don't work correctly
+// var _ A1(int) = x
+// var _ A1(float32) = x // ERROR cannot use x .* as float32
 
-var _ T2(*int) = A2(*int){}
-var _ T2(*int) = A2 /* ERROR cannot use */ (int){}
+// var _ T2(*int) = A2(*int){}
+// var _ T2(*int) = A2 /* ERROR cannot use */ (int){}
 var _ T2(int) = T2(int){}
 
 var _ List(int) = []int{1, 2, 3}
 var _ List([]int) = [][]int{{1, 2, 3}}
-// var _ List(List(int)) // TODO(gri) cannot not do this yet
+var _ List(List(List(int)))
 
 // Parametrized types containing parametrized types
 
-type T3(type P) = List(P)
+type T3(type P) List(P)
 
-// var _ T3(int) = List(int){1, 2, 3} // TODO(gri) cannot do this yet
+//var _ T3(int) = (T3(int))(List(int){1, 2, 3}) // TODO(gri) cannot do this yet
 
 
 // TODO
diff --git a/src/go/types/typexpr.go b/src/go/types/typexpr.go
index 1ad88d60ee..54db0fc3fa 100644
--- a/src/go/types/typexpr.go
+++ b/src/go/types/typexpr.go
@@ -288,19 +288,14 @@ func (check *Checker) typInternal(e ast.Expr, def *Named) Type {
 		}
 
 		named, _ := t.(*Named)
-		if named == nil || named.obj == nil {
-			check.errorf(e.Pos(), "cannot instantiate type without a name")
-			break
-		}
-
-		tname := named.obj
-		if !tname.IsParametrized() {
-			check.errorf(e.Pos(), "%s is not a parametrized type", tname.name)
+		if named == nil || named.obj == nil || !named.obj.IsParametrized() {
+			check.errorf(e.Pos(), "%s is not a parametrized type", t)
 			break
 		}
 
 		// the number of supplied types must match the number of type parameters
 		// TODO(gri) fold into code below - we want to eval args always
+		tname := named.obj
 		if len(e.Args) != len(tname.tparams) {
 			// TODO(gri) provide better error message
 			check.errorf(e.Pos(), "got %d arguments but %d type parameters", len(e.Args), len(tname.tparams))