diff --git a/internal/lsp/rename.go b/internal/lsp/rename.go
index cef0638ff5..5f27d23d1b 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/rename.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/rename.go
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ func (s *Server) prepareRename(ctx context.Context, params *protocol.PrepareRena
 	}
 	// Do not return errors here, as it adds clutter.
 	// Returning a nil result means there is not a valid rename.
-	item, err := source.PrepareRename(ctx, snapshot, fh, params.Position)
+	item, usererr, err := source.PrepareRename(ctx, snapshot, fh, params.Position)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil // ignore errors
+		// Return usererr here rather than err, to avoid cluttering the UI with
+		// internal error details.
+		return nil, usererr
 	}
 	// TODO(suzmue): return ident.Name as the placeholder text.
 	return &item.Range, nil
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/rename.go b/internal/lsp/source/rename.go
index fdf3f63ec7..da7faf8f7d 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/rename.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/rename.go
@@ -42,22 +42,30 @@ type PrepareItem struct {
 	Text  string
 }
 
-func PrepareRename(ctx context.Context, snapshot Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.Position) (*PrepareItem, error) {
+// PrepareRename searches for a valid renaming at position pp.
+//
+// The returned usererr is intended to be displayed to the user to explain why
+// the prepare fails. Probably we could eliminate the redundancy in returning
+// two errors, but for now this is done defensively.
+func PrepareRename(ctx context.Context, snapshot Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.Position) (_ *PrepareItem, usererr, err error) {
 	ctx, done := event.Start(ctx, "source.PrepareRename")
 	defer done()
 
 	qos, err := qualifiedObjsAtProtocolPos(ctx, snapshot, f, pp)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	node, obj, pkg := qos[0].node, qos[0].obj, qos[0].sourcePkg
+	if err := checkRenamable(obj); err != nil {
+		return nil, err, err
+	}
 	mr, err := posToMappedRange(snapshot, pkg, node.Pos(), node.End())
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	rng, err := mr.Range()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	if _, isImport := node.(*ast.ImportSpec); isImport {
 		// We're not really renaming the import path.
@@ -66,10 +74,22 @@ func PrepareRename(ctx context.Context, snapshot Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp prot
 	return &PrepareItem{
 		Range: rng,
 		Text:  obj.Name(),
-	}, nil
+	}, nil, nil
 }
 
-// Rename returns a map of TextEdits for each file modified when renaming a given identifier within a package.
+// checkRenamable verifies if an obj may be renamed.
+func checkRenamable(obj types.Object) error {
+	if v, ok := obj.(*types.Var); ok && v.Embedded() {
+		return errors.New("can't rename embedded fields: rename the type directly or name the field")
+	}
+	if obj.Name() == "_" {
+		return errors.New("can't rename \"_\"")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Rename returns a map of TextEdits for each file modified when renaming a
+// given identifier within a package.
 func Rename(ctx context.Context, s Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.Position, newName string) (map[span.URI][]protocol.TextEdit, error) {
 	ctx, done := event.Start(ctx, "source.Rename")
 	defer done()
@@ -79,9 +99,11 @@ func Rename(ctx context.Context, s Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.Position,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	obj := qos[0].obj
-	pkg := qos[0].pkg
+	obj, pkg := qos[0].obj, qos[0].pkg
 
+	if err := checkRenamable(obj); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	if obj.Name() == newName {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("old and new names are the same: %s", newName)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go b/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
index bc670db5f5..5ad2ebcbc2 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ func (r *runner) PrepareRename(t *testing.T, src span.Span, want *source.Prepare
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	item, err := source.PrepareRename(r.ctx, r.snapshot, fh, srcRng.Start)
+	item, _, err := source.PrepareRename(r.ctx, r.snapshot, fh, srcRng.Start)
 	if err != nil {
 		if want.Text != "" { // expected an ident.
 			t.Errorf("prepare rename failed for %v: got error: %v", src, err)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/testdata/good/good1.go b/internal/lsp/testdata/good/good1.go
index bdccaed636..c4664a7e5d 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/testdata/good/good1.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/testdata/good/good1.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package good //@diag("package", "no_diagnostics", "", "error")
 
 import (
-	_ "go/ast"                              //@prepare("go/ast", "_", "_")
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/lsp/types" //@item(types_import, "types", "\"golang.org/x/tools/internal/lsp/types\"", "package")
 )
 
diff --git a/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.golden b/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.golden
index 367d52d342..34d03ba7aa 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.golden
+++ b/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.golden
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 -- bar-rename --
 package issue43616
 
-type bar int //@rename("foo","bar")
+type bar int //@rename("foo","bar"),prepare("oo","foo","foo")
 
-var x struct{ bar }
+var x struct{ bar } //@rename("foo","baz")
 
-var _ = x.bar
+var _ = x.bar //@rename("foo","quux")
 
+-- baz-rename --
+can't rename embedded fields: rename the type directly or name the field
+-- quux-rename --
+can't rename embedded fields: rename the type directly or name the field
diff --git a/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.in b/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.in
index 3686914c98..aaad531b73 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.in
+++ b/internal/lsp/testdata/rename/issue43616/issue43616.go.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package issue43616
 
-type foo int //@rename("foo","bar")
+type foo int //@rename("foo","bar"),prepare("oo","foo","foo")
 
-var x struct{ foo }
+var x struct{ foo } //@rename("foo","baz")
 
-var _ = x.foo
+var _ = x.foo //@rename("foo","quux")
diff --git a/internal/lsp/testdata/summary.txt.golden b/internal/lsp/testdata/summary.txt.golden
index 5482a03c70..37bb48a98d 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/testdata/summary.txt.golden
+++ b/internal/lsp/testdata/summary.txt.golden
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ DefinitionsCount = 64
 TypeDefinitionsCount = 2
 HighlightsCount = 69
 ReferencesCount = 25
-RenamesCount = 31
+RenamesCount = 33
 PrepareRenamesCount = 7
 SymbolsCount = 5
 WorkspaceSymbolsCount = 20