diff --git a/go/types/api.go b/go/types/api.go
index 34bd3c83..4c8a3a43 100644
--- a/go/types/api.go
+++ b/go/types/api.go
@@ -87,30 +87,31 @@ type Config struct {
 
 // Info holds result type information for a package.
 type Info struct {
-	// If Types != nil, it records the type for each expression that is
-	// type-checked. Expressions corresponding to identifiers on the lhs
-	// of a declaration are recorded in Objects, not Types.
+	// If Types != nil, it records the expression and corresponding type
+	// for each expression that is type-checked. Identifiers declaring a
+	// variable are recorded in Objects, not Types.
 	Types map[ast.Expr]Type
 
-	// If Values != nil, it records the value of each constant expression
-	// that is type-checked.
+	// If Values != nil, it records the expression and corresponding value
+	// for each constant expression that is type-checked.
 	Values map[ast.Expr]exact.Value
 
-	// If Objects != nil, it records the object denoted by each identifier
-	// that is type-checked (including package names, dots "." of dot-imports,
-	// and blank "_" identifiers). For identifiers that were not declared,
-	// the corresponding object is nil.
+	// If Objects != nil, it records the identifier and corresponding object
+	// for each identifier that is type-checked (including package names,
+	// dots "." of dot-imports, and blank "_" identifiers). For identifiers
+	// that were not declared due to an error, the corresponding object is nil.
 	// BUG(gri) Label identifiers in break, continue, or goto statements
 	// are not recorded.
 	Objects map[*ast.Ident]Object
 
-	// If Implicits != nil, it records the object for each node that implicitly
-	// declares objects. The following node and object types may appear:
+	// If Implicits != nil, it records the node and corresponding object for
+	// each node that is type-checked and that implicitly declared an object.
+	// The following node and object types may appear:
 	//
 	//	node               declared object
 	//
 	//	*ast.ImportSpec    *Package (imports w/o renames), or imported objects (dot-imports)
-	//	*ast.CaseClause    type-specific *Var introduced for each single-type type switch clause
+	//	*ast.CaseClause    type-specific *Var for each type switch case clause (incl. default)
 	//      *ast.Field         anonymous struct field or parameter *Var
 	//
 	Implicits map[ast.Node]Object
diff --git a/go/types/assignments.go b/go/types/assignments.go
index de4b28fe..ca9a0eb2 100644
--- a/go/types/assignments.go
+++ b/go/types/assignments.go
@@ -288,17 +288,11 @@ func (check *checker) shortVarDecl(lhs, rhs []ast.Expr) {
 	check.initVars(vars, rhs, true)
 
 	// declare variables
-	n := 0 // number of new variables
+	n := scope.NumEntries()
 	for _, obj := range vars {
-		if obj.name == "_" {
-			obj.setParent(scope)
-			continue // blank identifiers are not visible
-		}
-		if scope.Insert(obj) == nil {
-			n++ // new declaration
-		}
+		scope.Insert(obj)
 	}
-	if n == 0 {
+	if n == scope.NumEntries() {
 		check.errorf(vars[0].Pos(), "no new variables on left side of :=")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/go/types/gcimporter.go b/go/types/gcimporter.go
index cbd6f3e5..3403b9ea 100644
--- a/go/types/gcimporter.go
+++ b/go/types/gcimporter.go
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ func (p *gcParser) parseStructType() Type {
 
 	p.expectKeyword("struct")
 	p.expect('{')
-	scope := NewScope(nil)
+	var fset objset
 	for i := 0; p.tok != '}'; i++ {
 		if i > 0 {
 			p.expect(';')
@@ -506,15 +506,13 @@ func (p *gcParser) parseStructType() Type {
 		if tags != nil {
 			tags = append(tags, tag)
 		}
-		if fld.name == "_" {
-			// blank identifiers are not declared
-			fld.setParent(scope)
-		} else if alt := scope.Insert(fld); alt != nil {
+		if alt := fset.insert(fld); alt != nil {
 			pname := "<no pkg name>"
 			if pkg := alt.Pkg(); pkg != nil {
 				pname = pkg.name
 			}
 			p.errorf("multiple fields named %s.%s", pname, alt.Name())
+			continue
 		}
 		fields = append(fields, fld)
 	}
@@ -598,12 +596,12 @@ func (p *gcParser) parseSignature() *Signature {
 // visible in the export data.
 //
 func (p *gcParser) parseInterfaceType() Type {
-	var scope *Scope // lazily allocated (empty interfaces are not uncommon)
+	typ := new(Interface)
 	var methods []*Func
 
-	typ := new(Interface)
 	p.expectKeyword("interface")
 	p.expect('{')
+	var mset objset
 	for i := 0; p.tok != '}'; i++ {
 		if i > 0 {
 			p.expect(';')
@@ -614,17 +612,15 @@ func (p *gcParser) parseInterfaceType() Type {
 		// typ, for less verbose printing of interface method signatures.
 		sig.recv = NewVar(token.NoPos, pkg, "", typ)
 		m := NewFunc(token.NoPos, pkg, name, sig)
-		if scope == nil {
-			scope = NewScope(nil)
-		}
-		if alt := scope.Insert(m); alt != nil {
+		if alt := mset.insert(m); alt != nil {
 			p.errorf("multiple methods named %s.%s", alt.Pkg().name, alt.Name())
+			continue
 		}
 		methods = append(methods, m)
 	}
 	p.expect('}')
-	typ.methods = methods
 
+	typ.methods = methods
 	return typ
 }
 
diff --git a/go/types/lookup.go b/go/types/lookup.go
index 325bef3c..1bbb1d21 100644
--- a/go/types/lookup.go
+++ b/go/types/lookup.go
@@ -314,12 +314,11 @@ func concat(list []int, i int) []int {
 
 // fieldIndex returns the index for the field with matching package and name, or a value < 0.
 func fieldIndex(fields []*Var, pkg *Package, name string) int {
-	if name == "_" {
-		return -1 // blank identifiers are never found
-	}
-	for i, f := range fields {
-		if f.sameId(pkg, name) {
-			return i
+	if name != "_" {
+		for i, f := range fields {
+			if f.sameId(pkg, name) {
+				return i
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return -1
@@ -327,10 +326,11 @@ func fieldIndex(fields []*Var, pkg *Package, name string) int {
 
 // lookupMethod returns the index of and method with matching package and name, or (-1, nil).
 func lookupMethod(methods []*Func, pkg *Package, name string) (int, *Func) {
-	assert(name != "_")
-	for i, m := range methods {
-		if m.sameId(pkg, name) {
-			return i, m
+	if name != "_" {
+		for i, m := range methods {
+			if m.sameId(pkg, name) {
+				return i, m
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return -1, nil
diff --git a/go/types/objset.go b/go/types/objset.go
index afb92c10..2a5397e3 100644
--- a/go/types/objset.go
+++ b/go/types/objset.go
@@ -19,11 +19,13 @@ type objset struct {
 // insert attempts to insert an object obj into objset s.
 // If s already contains an alternative object alt with
 // the same name, insert leaves s unchanged and returns alt.
-// Otherwise it inserts obj and returns nil.
-// The object name must not be blank _.
-func (s *objset) insert(obj Object) (alt Object) {
+// Otherwise it inserts obj and returns nil. Objects with
+// blank "_" names are ignored.
+func (s *objset) insert(obj Object) Object {
 	name := obj.Name()
-	assert(name != "_")
+	if name == "_" {
+		return nil
+	}
 	id := Id(obj.Pkg(), name)
 	if alt := s.objmap[id]; alt != nil {
 		return alt
diff --git a/go/types/resolver.go b/go/types/resolver.go
index 360959c1..d524bef0 100644
--- a/go/types/resolver.go
+++ b/go/types/resolver.go
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@ func (check *checker) reportAltDecl(obj Object) {
 }
 
 func (check *checker) declareObj(scope *Scope, id *ast.Ident, obj Object) {
-	if obj.Name() == "_" {
-		// blank identifiers are not declared
-		obj.setParent(scope)
-	} else if alt := scope.Insert(obj); alt != nil {
+	if alt := scope.Insert(obj); alt != nil {
 		check.errorf(obj.Pos(), "%s redeclared in this block", obj.Name())
 		check.reportAltDecl(alt)
 		obj = nil
@@ -38,9 +35,7 @@ func (check *checker) declareObj(scope *Scope, id *ast.Ident, obj Object) {
 }
 
 func (check *checker) declareFld(oset *objset, id *ast.Ident, obj Object) {
-	if obj.Name() == "_" {
-		// blank identifiers are not declared
-	} else if alt := oset.insert(obj); alt != nil {
+	if alt := oset.insert(obj); alt != nil {
 		check.errorf(obj.Pos(), "%s redeclared", obj.Name())
 		check.reportAltDecl(alt)
 		obj = nil
@@ -525,9 +520,7 @@ func (check *checker) typeDecl(obj *TypeName, typ ast.Expr, def *Named, cycleOk
 	// TODO(gri) consider keeping the objset with the struct instead
 	if t, _ := named.underlying.(*Struct); t != nil {
 		for _, fld := range t.fields {
-			if fld.name != "_" {
-				assert(mset.insert(fld) == nil)
-			}
+			assert(mset.insert(fld) == nil)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/types/scope.go b/go/types/scope.go
index 062dbd16..312db6a5 100644
--- a/go/types/scope.go
+++ b/go/types/scope.go
@@ -106,10 +106,20 @@ func (s *Scope) LookupParent(name string) Object {
 // If s already contains an alternative object alt with
 // the same name, Insert leaves s unchanged and returns alt.
 // Otherwise it inserts obj, sets the object's scope to
-// s, and returns nil. The object name must not be blank _.
+// s, and returns nil. Objects with blank "_" names are
+// not inserted, but have their parent field set to s.
 func (s *Scope) Insert(obj Object) Object {
 	name := obj.Name()
-	assert(name != "_")
+
+	// spec: "The blank identifier, represented by the underscore
+	// character _, may be used in a declaration like any other
+	// identifier but the declaration does not introduce a new
+	// binding."
+	if name == "_" {
+		obj.setParent(s)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if alt := s.Lookup(name); alt != nil {
 		return alt
 	}