diff --git a/src/go/ast/ast.go b/src/go/ast/ast.go
index 469cb0a01c..881ff3af30 100644
--- a/src/go/ast/ast.go
+++ b/src/go/ast/ast.go
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ type (
 type Constraint struct {
 	Param *Ident // constrained type parameter; or nil (for embedded constraints)
 	MName *Ident // method name; or nil
-	Type  Expr   // embedded constraint (CallExpr), constraint type, method type (*FuncType); or nil
+	Type  Expr   // embedded constraint (CallExpr), constraint type, or method type (*FuncType)
 }
 
 // Pos and End implementations for expression/type nodes.
diff --git a/src/go/types/check_test.go b/src/go/types/check_test.go
index a4a89559e1..743baaea75 100644
--- a/src/go/types/check_test.go
+++ b/src/go/types/check_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ var tests = [][]string{
 	{"testdata/issue28251.src"},
 	{"testdata/issue6977.src"},
 	{"testdata/typeparams.src"},
+	{"testdata/contracts.src"},
 }
 
 var fset = token.NewFileSet()
diff --git a/src/go/types/expr.go b/src/go/types/expr.go
index 710516513b..82198e715f 100644
--- a/src/go/types/expr.go
+++ b/src/go/types/expr.go
@@ -1513,7 +1513,7 @@ func (check *Checker) exprInternal(x *operand, e ast.Expr, hint Type) exprKind {
 		goto Error
 
 	case *ast.ArrayType, *ast.StructType, *ast.FuncType,
-		*ast.InterfaceType, *ast.MapType, *ast.ChanType:
+		*ast.InterfaceType, *ast.MapType, *ast.ChanType, *ast.ContractType:
 		x.mode = typexpr
 		x.typ = check.typ(e)
 		// Note: rawExpr (caller of exprInternal) will call check.recordTypeAndValue
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/contracts.src b/src/go/types/testdata/contracts.src
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c432ed0b83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/contracts.src
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// 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
+
+// empty contracts
+contract _(){}
+contract _(A){}
+contract _(A, B, C){}
+contract _(A, B, A /* ERROR A redeclared */ ){}
+
+// For now we also allow this form of contract declaration.
+type _ contract(){}
+type _ contract(A, B, A /* ERROR A redeclared */ ){}
+
+// method constraints
+contract _(A) { A } /* ERROR expected type */
+contract _(A) { A m() }
+contract _(A) { B /* ERROR B not declared by contract */ m() }
+
+// type constraints
+contract _(A) { A A }
+contract _(A) { A B /* ERROR undeclared name: B */ }
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/typeparams.src b/src/go/types/testdata/typeparams.src
index f9021cfa33..51226b6302 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/typeparams.src
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/typeparams.src
@@ -111,5 +111,3 @@ var _ = f8(1, 2.3, 3.4, 4 /* ERROR does not match */ )
 var _ = f8(int, float64)(1, 2.3, 3.4, 4)
 
 var _ = f8(int, float64)(0, 0, nil...) // test case for #18268
-
-// type P contract(C) {}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/go/types/type.go b/src/go/types/type.go
index 4dac379bbc..4b17446fb7 100644
--- a/src/go/types/type.go
+++ b/src/go/types/type.go
@@ -497,6 +497,17 @@ func (t *Named) AddMethod(m *Func) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A Contract represents a contract.
+type Contract struct {
+	TParams []*TypeName
+}
+
+func NewContract(tparams []*TypeName) *Contract {
+	return &Contract{
+		TParams: tparams,
+	}
+}
+
 // A TypeParam represents a type parameter type.
 type TypeParam struct {
 	obj   *TypeName
@@ -525,6 +536,7 @@ func (t *Interface) Underlying() Type { return t }
 func (m *Map) Underlying() Type       { return m }
 func (c *Chan) Underlying() Type      { return c }
 func (t *Named) Underlying() Type     { return t.underlying }
+func (c *Contract) Underlying() Type  { return c }
 func (c *TypeParam) Underlying() Type { return c }
 
 func (b *Basic) String() string     { return TypeString(b, nil) }
@@ -538,4 +550,5 @@ func (t *Interface) String() string { return TypeString(t, nil) }
 func (m *Map) String() string       { return TypeString(m, nil) }
 func (c *Chan) String() string      { return TypeString(c, nil) }
 func (t *Named) String() string     { return TypeString(t, nil) }
+func (c *Contract) String() string  { return TypeString(c, nil) }
 func (c *TypeParam) String() string { return TypeString(c, nil) }
diff --git a/src/go/types/typestring.go b/src/go/types/typestring.go
index 19f84127ba..ac12a3a4c2 100644
--- a/src/go/types/typestring.go
+++ b/src/go/types/typestring.go
@@ -247,6 +247,17 @@ func writeType(buf *bytes.Buffer, typ Type, qf Qualifier, visited []Type) {
 		}
 		buf.WriteString(s)
 
+	case *Contract:
+		buf.WriteString("contract(")
+		for i, p := range t.TParams {
+			if i > 0 {
+				buf.WriteString(", ")
+			}
+			buf.WriteString(p.name)
+		}
+		buf.WriteString("){}")
+		// TODO write contract body
+
 	case *TypeParam:
 		var s string
 		if t.obj != nil {
diff --git a/src/go/types/typestring_test.go b/src/go/types/typestring_test.go
index 5d9db39bfc..769c34f56d 100644
--- a/src/go/types/typestring_test.go
+++ b/src/go/types/typestring_test.go
@@ -107,6 +107,13 @@ var independentTestTypes = []testEntry{
 	dup("chan (<-chan int)"),
 	dup("chan<- func()"),
 	dup("<-chan []func() int"),
+
+	// TODO(gri) These are not recognized as contracts as long as "contract"
+	//           is not a keyword.
+	// contracts
+	// dup("contract(){}"),
+	// dup("contract(A){}"),
+	// dup("contract(A, B, C){}"),
 }
 
 // types that depend on other type declarations (src in TestTypes)
diff --git a/src/go/types/typexpr.go b/src/go/types/typexpr.go
index 449df36385..f0ed1b62f4 100644
--- a/src/go/types/typexpr.go
+++ b/src/go/types/typexpr.go
@@ -149,8 +149,10 @@ func (check *Checker) funcType(sig *Signature, recvPar *ast.FieldList, tpar *ast
 	if tpar.NumFields() != 0 {
 		check.scope = NewScope(check.scope, token.NoPos, token.NoPos, "function type parameters") // TODO(gri) replace with check.openScope call
 		defer check.closeScope()
+		// TODO(gri) record this scope
 	}
 	scope := NewScope(check.scope, token.NoPos, token.NoPos, "function")
+	// TODO(gri) should we close this scope?
 	scope.isFunc = true
 	check.recordScope(ftyp, scope)
 
@@ -345,6 +347,12 @@ func (check *Checker) typInternal(e ast.Expr, def *Named) Type {
 		typ.elem = check.typ(e.Value)
 		return typ
 
+	case *ast.ContractType:
+		typ := new(Contract)
+		def.setUnderlying(typ)
+		check.contractType(typ, e)
+		return typ
+
 	default:
 		check.errorf(e.Pos(), "%s is not a type", e)
 	}
@@ -793,3 +801,57 @@ func embeddedFieldIdent(e ast.Expr) *ast.Ident {
 	}
 	return nil // invalid embedded field
 }
+
+func (check *Checker) contractType(ctyp *Contract, e *ast.ContractType) {
+	scope := NewScope(check.scope, token.NoPos, token.NoPos, "contract type parameters")
+	check.scope = scope
+	defer check.closeScope()
+	check.recordScope(e, scope)
+
+	// collect type parameters
+	var tparams []*TypeName
+	for index, name := range e.TParams {
+		tpar := NewTypeName(name.Pos(), check.pkg, name.Name, nil)
+		NewTypeParam(tpar, index) // assigns type to tpar as a side-effect
+		check.declare(scope, name, tpar, scope.pos)
+		tparams = append(tparams, tpar)
+	}
+	ctyp.TParams = tparams
+
+	// collect constraints
+	for _, c := range e.Constraints {
+		if c.Param != nil {
+			// If a type name is present, it must be one of the contract's type parameters.
+			tpar := scope.Lookup(c.Param.Name)
+			if tpar == nil {
+				check.errorf(c.Param.Pos(), "%s not declared by contract", c.Param.Name)
+				continue // TODO(gri) should try fall through
+			}
+			if c.Type == nil {
+				check.invalidAST(c.Param.Pos(), "missing method or type constraint")
+				continue
+			}
+			typ := check.typ(c.Type)
+			if c.MName != nil {
+				// If a method name is present, it must be unique, and c.Type
+				// must must be a method signature (guaranteed by AST).
+				sig, _ := typ.(*Signature)
+				if sig == nil {
+					check.invalidAST(c.Type.Pos(), "invalid method type")
+				}
+				// TODO(gri) what requirements do we have for sig.scope, sig.recv?
+			} else {
+				// no method name => we have a type constraint
+				check.typeConstraint(typ)
+			}
+		} else {
+			// no type name => we have an embedded contract
+			panic("embedded contracts unimplemented")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (check *Checker) typeConstraint(typ Type) {
+	// TODO(gri) verify that we have a valid type constraint
+	// - determine exact rules
+}