diff --git a/expr.cpp b/expr.cpp
index eb0567f5..4ee0b52e 100644
--- a/expr.cpp
+++ b/expr.cpp
@@ -6305,8 +6305,17 @@ DereferenceExpr::GetType() const {
 
 Expr *
 DereferenceExpr::TypeCheck() {
-    if (expr == NULL)
+    if (expr == NULL) {
+        Assert(m->errorCount > 0);
         return NULL;
+    }
+        
+    if (dynamic_cast<const PointerType *>(expr->GetType()) == NULL) {
+        Error(pos, "Illegal to dereference non-pointer type \"%s\".",
+              expr->GetType()->GetString().c_str());
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     return this;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests_errors/deref-4.ispc b/tests_errors/deref-4.ispc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c45083b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests_errors/deref-4.ispc
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// Illegal to dereference non-pointer type "float"
+
+float func(float a) {
+    *a = 0;
+    return 0;
+}