diff --git a/src/analyze.cpp b/src/analyze.cpp
index b988d663f..fb6894eba 100644
--- a/src/analyze.cpp
+++ b/src/analyze.cpp
@@ -3391,12 +3391,15 @@ static TypeTableEntry *analyze_null_literal_expr(CodeGen *g, ImportTableEntry *i
     assert(node->type == NodeTypeNullLiteral);
 
     if (!expected_type) {
-        add_node_error(g, node,
-                buf_sprintf("unable to determine null type"));
+        add_node_error(g, node, buf_sprintf("unable to determine null type"));
         return g->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
     }
 
-    assert(expected_type->id == TypeTableEntryIdMaybe);
+    if (expected_type->id != TypeTableEntryIdMaybe) {
+        add_node_error(g, node,
+                buf_sprintf("expected maybe type, got '%s'", buf_ptr(&expected_type->name)));
+        return g->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
+    }
 
     node->data.null_literal.resolved_struct_val_expr.type_entry = expected_type;
     node->data.null_literal.resolved_struct_val_expr.source_node = node;
diff --git a/test/run_tests.cpp b/test/run_tests.cpp
index 431452a23..266720ccb 100644
--- a/test/run_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/run_tests.cpp
@@ -1810,6 +1810,10 @@ fn derp(){}
     )SOURCE", 2,
             ".tmp_source.zig:3:12: error: no label in scope named 'label'",
             ".tmp_source.zig:5:1: error: label 'label' defined but not used");
+
+    add_compile_fail_case("assign null to non-nullable pointer", R"SOURCE(
+const a: &u8 = null;
+    )SOURCE", 1, ".tmp_source.zig:2:16: error: expected maybe type, got '&u8'");
 }
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////