diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
index a1847b21ca..bfc5578683 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/assignments.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ func (check *Checker) initVar(lhs *Var, x *operand, context string) Type {
 
 	check.assignment(x, lhs.typ, context)
 	if x.mode == invalid {
+		lhs.used = true // avoid follow-on "declared but not used" errors
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ func (check *Checker) initVar(lhs *Var, x *operand, context string) Type {
 
 func (check *Checker) assignVar(lhs syntax.Expr, x *operand) Type {
 	if x.mode == invalid || x.typ == Typ[Invalid] {
-		check.useLHS(lhs)
+		check.use(lhs)
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -306,8 +307,18 @@ func (check *Checker) initVars(lhs []*Var, orig_rhs []syntax.Expr, returnPos syn
 		return
 	}
 
+	ok := true
 	for i, lhs := range lhs {
-		check.initVar(lhs, rhs[i], context)
+		if check.initVar(lhs, rhs[i], context) == nil {
+			ok = false
+		}
+	}
+
+	// avoid follow-on "declared but not used" errors if any initialization failed
+	if !ok {
+		for _, lhs := range lhs {
+			lhs.used = true
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -315,7 +326,7 @@ func (check *Checker) assignVars(lhs, orig_rhs []syntax.Expr) {
 	rhs, commaOk := check.exprList(orig_rhs, len(lhs) == 2)
 
 	if len(lhs) != len(rhs) {
-		check.useLHS(lhs...)
+		check.use(lhs...)
 		// don't report an error if we already reported one
 		for _, x := range rhs {
 			if x.mode == invalid {
@@ -339,8 +350,26 @@ func (check *Checker) assignVars(lhs, orig_rhs []syntax.Expr) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	ok := true
 	for i, lhs := range lhs {
-		check.assignVar(lhs, rhs[i])
+		if check.assignVar(lhs, rhs[i]) == nil {
+			ok = false
+		}
+	}
+
+	// avoid follow-on "declared but not used" errors if any assignment failed
+	if !ok {
+		// don't call check.use to avoid re-evaluation of the lhs expressions
+		for _, lhs := range lhs {
+			if name, _ := unparen(lhs).(*syntax.Name); name != nil {
+				if obj := check.lookup(name.Value); obj != nil {
+					// see comment in assignVar
+					if v, _ := obj.(*Var); v != nil && v.pkg == check.pkg {
+						v.used = true
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -371,7 +400,7 @@ func (check *Checker) shortVarDecl(pos syntax.Pos, lhs, rhs []syntax.Expr) {
 	for i, lhs := range lhs {
 		ident, _ := lhs.(*syntax.Name)
 		if ident == nil {
-			check.useLHS(lhs)
+			check.use(lhs)
 			check.errorf(lhs, "non-name %s on left side of :=", lhs)
 			hasErr = true
 			continue
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/call.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/call.go
index aaef97f58a..99afecaf19 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/call.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/call.go
@@ -627,48 +627,20 @@ Error:
 func (check *Checker) use(arg ...syntax.Expr) {
 	var x operand
 	for _, e := range arg {
-		// Certain AST fields may legally be nil (e.g., the ast.SliceExpr.High field).
-		if e == nil {
+		switch n := e.(type) {
+		case nil:
+			// some AST fields may be nil (e.g., elements of syntax.SliceExpr.Index)
+			// TODO(gri) can those fields really make it here?
 			continue
-		}
-		if l, _ := e.(*syntax.ListExpr); l != nil {
-			check.use(l.ElemList...)
-			continue
-		}
-		check.rawExpr(&x, e, nil, false)
-	}
-}
-
-// useLHS is like use, but doesn't "use" top-level identifiers.
-// It should be called instead of use if the arguments are
-// expressions on the lhs of an assignment.
-// The arguments must not be nil.
-func (check *Checker) useLHS(arg ...syntax.Expr) {
-	var x operand
-	for _, e := range arg {
-		// If the lhs is an identifier denoting a variable v, this assignment
-		// is not a 'use' of v. Remember current value of v.used and restore
-		// after evaluating the lhs via check.rawExpr.
-		var v *Var
-		var v_used bool
-		if ident, _ := unparen(e).(*syntax.Name); ident != nil {
-			// never type-check the blank name on the lhs
-			if ident.Value == "_" {
+		case *syntax.Name:
+			// don't report an error evaluating blank
+			if n.Value == "_" {
 				continue
 			}
-			if _, obj := check.scope.LookupParent(ident.Value, nopos); obj != nil {
-				// It's ok to mark non-local variables, but ignore variables
-				// from other packages to avoid potential race conditions with
-				// dot-imported variables.
-				if w, _ := obj.(*Var); w != nil && w.pkg == check.pkg {
-					v = w
-					v_used = v.used
-				}
-			}
+		case *syntax.ListExpr:
+			check.use(n.ElemList...)
+			continue
 		}
 		check.rawExpr(&x, e, nil, false)
-		if v != nil {
-			v.used = v_used // restore v.used
-		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/stmt.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/stmt.go
index e138c58123..f3f345fd2f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/stmt.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/stmt.go
@@ -654,9 +654,6 @@ func (check *Checker) stmt(ctxt stmtContext, s syntax.Stmt) {
 		// declaration, but the post statement must not."
 		if s, _ := s.Post.(*syntax.AssignStmt); s != nil && s.Op == syntax.Def {
 			// The parser already reported an error.
-			// Don't call useLHS here because we want to use the lhs in
-			// this erroneous statement so that we don't get errors about
-			// these lhs variables being declared but not used.
 			check.use(s.Lhs) // avoid follow-up errors
 		}
 		check.stmt(inner, s.Body)
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug062.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug062.go
index 24c2dff933..1008f1af9c 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug062.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug062.go
@@ -7,6 +7,5 @@
 package main
 
 func main() {
-	var s string = nil;	// ERROR "illegal|invalid|incompatible|cannot"
-	_ = s
+	var s string = nil // ERROR "illegal|invalid|incompatible|cannot"
 }
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug131.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug131.go
index 2c9d120ed0..de606da167 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug131.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug131.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 package main
 
 func main() {
-	const a uint64 = 10;
-	var b int64 = a;	// ERROR "convert|cannot|incompatible"
-	_ = b
+	const a uint64 = 10
+	var b int64 = a // ERROR "convert|cannot|incompatible"
 }
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug175.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug175.go
index 88210a59b3..caf3168536 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug175.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug175.go
@@ -9,6 +9,5 @@ package main
 func f() (int, bool) { return 0, true }
 
 func main() {
-	x, y := f(), 2;	// ERROR "multi|2-valued"
-	_, _ = x, y
+	x, y := f(), 2 // ERROR "multi|2-valued"
 }
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
index fea6829992..7e8346ee0f 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
@@ -9,18 +9,14 @@
 package main
 
 func f1() {
-	a, b := f()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match|cannot initialize"
-	_ = a
-	_ = b
+	a, b := f() // ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match|cannot initialize"
 }
 
 func f2() {
 	var a, b int
-	a, b = f()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match|cannot assign"
-	_ = a
-	_ = b
+	a, b = f() // ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match|cannot assign"
 }
 
 func f() int {
-	return 1;
+	return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue9083.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue9083.go
index f5c5296a2b..ea53e7a69a 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue9083.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue9083.go
@@ -13,12 +13,10 @@ const zero = 0
 
 func main() {
 	var x int
-	_ = x
-	x = make(map[int]int) // ERROR "cannot use make\(map\[int\]int\)|incompatible"
-	x = make(map[int]int, 0) // ERROR "cannot use make\(map\[int\]int, 0\)|incompatible"
+	x = make(map[int]int)       // ERROR "cannot use make\(map\[int\]int\)|incompatible"
+	x = make(map[int]int, 0)    // ERROR "cannot use make\(map\[int\]int, 0\)|incompatible"
 	x = make(map[int]int, zero) // ERROR "cannot use make\(map\[int\]int, zero\)|incompatible"
-	x = make(chan int) // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int\)|incompatible"
-	x = make(chan int, 0) // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int, 0\)|incompatible"
-	x = make(chan int, zero) // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int, zero\)|incompatible"
-	_ = x
+	x = make(chan int)          // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int\)|incompatible"
+	x = make(chan int, 0)       // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int, 0\)|incompatible"
+	x = make(chan int, zero)    // ERROR "cannot use make\(chan int, zero\)|incompatible"
 }
diff --git a/test/interface/pointer.go b/test/interface/pointer.go
index c21e4da390..a71b3f4bf8 100644
--- a/test/interface/pointer.go
+++ b/test/interface/pointer.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ type Start struct {
 
 func (start *Start) Next() *Inst { return nil }
 
-
 func AddInst(Inst) *Inst {
 	print("ok in addinst\n")
 	return nil
@@ -33,8 +32,6 @@ func AddInst(Inst) *Inst {
 func main() {
 	print("call addinst\n")
 	var x Inst = AddInst(new(Start)) // ERROR "pointer to interface|incompatible type"
-	_ = x
 	print("return from  addinst\n")
-	var y *Inst = new(Start)  // ERROR "pointer to interface|incompatible type"
-	_ = y
+	var y *Inst = new(Start) // ERROR "pointer to interface|incompatible type"
 }