diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
index 4713ecddca..4408a531ec 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/escape.go
@@ -210,6 +210,9 @@ func (b *batch) walkFunc(fn *ir.Func) {
 		switch n.Op() {
 		case ir.OLABEL:
 			n := n.(*ir.LabelStmt)
+			if n.Label.IsBlank() {
+				break
+			}
 			if e.labels == nil {
 				e.labels = make(map[*types.Sym]labelState)
 			}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/stmt.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/stmt.go
index 0afb5d64ef..4e8dd904ff 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/stmt.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/stmt.go
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ func (e *escape) stmt(n ir.Node) {
 
 	case ir.OLABEL:
 		n := n.(*ir.LabelStmt)
+		if n.Label.IsBlank() {
+			break
+		}
 		switch e.labels[n.Label] {
 		case nonlooping:
 			if base.Flag.LowerM > 2 {
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56169e6871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// compile
+
+// Copyright 2022 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
+
+func main() {
+_:
+_:
+}