diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/bimport.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/bimport.go
index a68281f5a7..d099741694 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/bimport.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/bimport.go
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ func (p *importer) localname() *Sym {
 	if name == "" {
 		Fatalf("importer: unexpected anonymous name")
 	}
-	structpkg = importpkg // parser.go:hidden_pkg_importsym
 	return importpkg.Lookup(name)
 }
 
@@ -252,13 +251,7 @@ func (p *importer) typ() *Type {
 			n := methodname1(newname(sym), recv[0].Right)
 			n.Type = functype(recv[0], params, result)
 			checkwidth(n.Type)
-			// addmethod uses the global variable structpkg to verify consistency
-			{
-				saved := structpkg
-				structpkg = tsym.Pkg
-				addmethod(sym, n.Type, false, false)
-				structpkg = saved
-			}
+			addmethod(sym, n.Type, tsym.Pkg, false, false)
 			funchdr(n)
 
 			// (comment from parser.go)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
index 528771627c..8e6ff3938b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
@@ -1284,11 +1284,13 @@ func methodname1(n *Node, t *Node) *Node {
 	return n
 }
 
-// add a method, declared as a function,
-// n is fieldname, pa is base type, t is function type
-func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
+// Add a method, declared as a function.
+// - msym is the method symbol
+// - t is function type (with receiver)
+// - tpkg is the package of the type declaring the method during import, or nil (ignored) --- for verification only
+func addmethod(msym *Sym, t *Type, tpkg *Pkg, local, nointerface bool) {
 	// get field sym
-	if sf == nil {
+	if msym == nil {
 		Fatalf("no method symbol")
 	}
 
@@ -1299,7 +1301,7 @@ func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	pa = pa.Type
+	pa = pa.Type // base type
 	f := methtype(pa, 1)
 	if f == nil {
 		t = pa
@@ -1348,20 +1350,20 @@ func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if isblanksym(sf) {
+	if isblanksym(msym) {
 		return
 	}
 
 	if pa.Etype == TSTRUCT {
 		for f, it := IterFields(pa); f != nil; f = it.Next() {
-			if f.Sym == sf {
-				Yyerror("type %v has both field and method named %v", pa, sf)
+			if f.Sym == msym {
+				Yyerror("type %v has both field and method named %v", pa, msym)
 				return
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	n := Nod(ODCLFIELD, newname(sf), nil)
+	n := Nod(ODCLFIELD, newname(msym), nil)
 	n.Type = t
 
 	var d *Type // last found
@@ -1370,11 +1372,11 @@ func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
 		if f.Etype != TFIELD {
 			Fatalf("addmethod: not TFIELD: %v", Tconv(f, obj.FmtLong))
 		}
-		if sf.Name != f.Sym.Name {
+		if msym.Name != f.Sym.Name {
 			continue
 		}
 		if !Eqtype(t, f.Type) {
-			Yyerror("method redeclared: %v.%v\n\t%v\n\t%v", pa, sf, f.Type, t)
+			Yyerror("method redeclared: %v.%v\n\t%v\n\t%v", pa, msym, f.Type, t)
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -1383,8 +1385,8 @@ func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
 	f.Nointerface = nointerface
 
 	// during import unexported method names should be in the type's package
-	if importpkg != nil && f.Sym != nil && !exportname(f.Sym.Name) && f.Sym.Pkg != structpkg {
-		Fatalf("imported method name %v in wrong package %s\n", Sconv(f.Sym, obj.FmtSign), structpkg.Name)
+	if tpkg != nil && f.Sym != nil && !exportname(f.Sym.Name) && f.Sym.Pkg != tpkg {
+		Fatalf("imported method name %v in wrong package %s\n", Sconv(f.Sym, obj.FmtSign), tpkg.Name)
 	}
 
 	if d == nil {
@@ -1392,7 +1394,6 @@ func addmethod(sf *Sym, t *Type, local bool, nointerface bool) {
 	} else {
 		d.Down = f
 	}
-	return
 }
 
 func funccompile(n *Node) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
index 90c662b6dd..90be6a58a4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/go.go
@@ -248,8 +248,6 @@ var localpkg *Pkg // package being compiled
 
 var importpkg *Pkg // package being imported
 
-var structpkg *Pkg // package that declared struct, during import
-
 var gostringpkg *Pkg // fake pkg for Go strings
 
 var itabpkg *Pkg // fake pkg for itab cache
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
index b2584c80d6..3d5e0b6d18 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ type parser struct {
 	fnest  int    // function nesting level (for error handling)
 	xnest  int    // expression nesting level (for complit ambiguity resolution)
 	indent []byte // tracing support
+
+	// TODO(gri) remove this once we switch to binary export format
+	structpkg *Pkg // for verification in addmethod only
 }
 
 // newparser returns a new parser ready to parse from src.
@@ -2008,7 +2011,7 @@ func (p *parser) hidden_fndcl() *Node {
 		ss.Type = functype(s2[0], s6, s8)
 
 		checkwidth(ss.Type)
-		addmethod(s4, ss.Type, false, false)
+		addmethod(s4, ss.Type, p.structpkg, false, false)
 		funchdr(ss)
 
 		// inl.C's inlnode in on a dotmeth node expects to find the inlineable body as
@@ -2863,12 +2866,9 @@ func (p *parser) hidden_pkg_importsym() *Sym {
 		defer p.trace("hidden_pkg_importsym")()
 	}
 
-	s1 := p.hidden_importsym()
-
-	ss := s1
-	structpkg = ss.Pkg
-
-	return ss
+	s := p.hidden_importsym()
+	p.structpkg = s.Pkg
+	return s
 }
 
 func (p *parser) hidden_pkgtype() *Type {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index 7840878da1..c49ece0f31 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -3438,7 +3438,7 @@ func typecheckfunc(n *Node) {
 	t.Nname = n.Func.Nname
 	rcvr := t.Recv()
 	if rcvr != nil && n.Func.Shortname != nil {
-		addmethod(n.Func.Shortname.Sym, t, true, n.Func.Nname.Nointerface)
+		addmethod(n.Func.Shortname.Sym, t, nil, true, n.Func.Nname.Nointerface)
 	}
 
 	for _, ln := range n.Func.Dcl {