diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
index a7778d37fb3..2ee027092e9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
@@ -1496,6 +1496,10 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n ir.Node) {
 	case ir.OLABEL:
 		n := n.(*ir.LabelStmt)
 		sym := n.Label
+		if sym.IsBlank() {
+			// Nothing to do because the label isn't targetable. See issue 52278.
+			break
+		}
 		lab := s.label(sym)
 
 		// The label might already have a target block via a goto.
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go
index 56169e68714..147b6530373 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue52278.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// compile
+// compile -d=ssa/check/on
 
 // Copyright 2022 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style