diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index e66ce5dc98..6f544a5b9a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -2156,7 +2156,9 @@ OpSwitch:
 
 	evconst(n)
 	if n.Op == OTYPE && top&Etype == 0 {
-		yyerror("type %v is not an expression", n.Type)
+		if !n.Type.Broke() {
+			yyerror("type %v is not an expression", n.Type)
+		}
 		n.Type = nil
 		return n
 	}
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue11614.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue11614.go
index 959643a514..91f134d44a 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue11614.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue11614.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type I interface {
 }
 
 func n() {
-	(I) // ERROR "type I is not an expression"
+	(I)
 }
 
 func m() {
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue20233.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue20233.go
index 5734cf44ef..4dec4e458b 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue20233.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue20233.go
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@
 
 package p
 
-var f = func(...A) // ERROR "type func(....*) is not an expression" ERROR "undefined: A"
+var f = func(...A) // ERROR "undefined: A"
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue20245.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue20245.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b07dbe20de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue20245.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// errorcheck
+
+// Copyright 2017 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.
+
+// Issue 20245: panic while formatting an error message
+
+package p
+
+var e = interface{ I1 } // ERROR "undefined: I1"