diff --git a/src/go/types/lookup.go b/src/go/types/lookup.go
index e7091a63e5..f385ac993f 100644
--- a/src/go/types/lookup.go
+++ b/src/go/types/lookup.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func (check *Checker) lookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Package
 	// Thus, if we have a named pointer type, proceed with the underlying
 	// pointer type but discard the result if it is a method since we would
 	// not have found it for T (see also issue 8590).
-	if t, _ := T.(*Named); t != nil {
+	if t := asNamed(T); t != nil {
 		if p, _ := t.underlying.(*Pointer); p != nil {
 			obj, index, indirect = check.rawLookupFieldOrMethod(p, false, pkg, name)
 			if _, ok := obj.(*Func); ok {
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ func (check *Checker) rawLookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Pack
 	typ, isPtr := deref(T)
 
 	// *typ where typ is an interface has no methods.
-	if isPtr && IsInterface(typ) {
+	// Be cautious: typ may be nil (issue 39634, crash #3).
+	if typ == nil || isPtr && IsInterface(typ) {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -106,12 +107,13 @@ func (check *Checker) rawLookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Pack
 		var next []embeddedType // embedded types found at current depth
 
 		// look for (pkg, name) in all types at current depth
+		var tpar *TypeParam // set if obj receiver is a type parameter
 		for _, e := range current {
 			typ := e.typ
 
 			// If we have a named type, we may have associated methods.
 			// Look for those first.
-			if named, _ := typ.(*Named); named != nil {
+			if named := asNamed(typ); named != nil {
 				if seen[named] {
 					// We have seen this type before, at a more shallow depth
 					// (note that multiples of this type at the current depth
@@ -138,10 +140,15 @@ func (check *Checker) rawLookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Pack
 					continue // we can't have a matching field or interface method
 				}
 
-				// continue with underlying type
-				typ = named.underlying
+				// continue with underlying type, but only if it's not a type parameter
+				// TODO(gri) is this what we want to do for type parameters? (spec question)
+				typ = named.under()
+				if asTypeParam(typ) != nil {
+					continue
+				}
 			}
 
+			tpar = nil
 			switch t := typ.(type) {
 			case *Struct:
 				// look for a matching field and collect embedded types
@@ -187,6 +194,20 @@ func (check *Checker) rawLookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Pack
 					obj = m
 					indirect = e.indirect
 				}
+
+			case *TypeParam:
+				// only consider explicit methods in the type parameter bound, not
+				// methods that may be common to all types in the type list.
+				if i, m := lookupMethod(t.Bound().allMethods, pkg, name); m != nil {
+					assert(m.typ != nil)
+					index = concat(e.index, i)
+					if obj != nil || e.multiples {
+						return nil, index, false // collision
+					}
+					tpar = t
+					obj = m
+					indirect = e.indirect
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -196,8 +217,12 @@ func (check *Checker) rawLookupFieldOrMethod(T Type, addressable bool, pkg *Pack
 			//        contains m and the argument list can be assigned to the parameter
 			//        list of m. If x is addressable and &x's method set contains m, x.m()
 			//        is shorthand for (&x).m()".
-			if f, _ := obj.(*Func); f != nil && ptrRecv(f) && !indirect && !addressable {
-				return nil, nil, true // pointer/addressable receiver required
+			if f, _ := obj.(*Func); f != nil {
+				// determine if method has a pointer receiver
+				hasPtrRecv := tpar == nil && ptrRecv(f)
+				if hasPtrRecv && !indirect && !addressable {
+					return nil, nil, true // pointer/addressable receiver required
+				}
 			}
 			return
 		}
@@ -269,7 +294,8 @@ func MissingMethod(V Type, T *Interface, static bool) (method *Func, wrongType b
 	return m, typ != nil
 }
 
-// missingMethod is like MissingMethod but accepts a receiver.
+// missingMethod is like MissingMethod but accepts a *Checker as
+// receiver and an addressable flag.
 // The receiver may be nil if missingMethod is invoked through
 // an exported API call (such as MissingMethod), i.e., when all
 // methods have been type-checked.
@@ -285,25 +311,37 @@ func (check *Checker) missingMethod(V Type, T *Interface, static bool) (method,
 		return
 	}
 
-	if ityp, _ := V.Underlying().(*Interface); ityp != nil {
+	if ityp := asInterface(V); ityp != nil {
 		check.completeInterface(token.NoPos, ityp)
 		// TODO(gri) allMethods is sorted - can do this more efficiently
 		for _, m := range T.allMethods {
-			_, obj := lookupMethod(ityp.allMethods, m.pkg, m.name)
-			switch {
-			case obj == nil:
-				if static {
-					return m, nil
+			_, f := lookupMethod(ityp.allMethods, m.pkg, m.name)
+
+			if f == nil {
+				// if m is the magic method == we're ok (interfaces are comparable)
+				if m.name == "==" || !static {
+					continue
 				}
-			case !check.identical(obj.Type(), m.typ):
-				return m, obj
+				return m, f
 			}
+
+			if !check.identical(f.Type(), m.Type()) {
+				return m, f
+			}
+
+			// TODO(rFindley) delete this note once the spec has stabilized to
+			//                exclude method type parameters.
+			// NOTE: if enabling method type parameters, we need to unify f.Type()
+			// and m.Type() here to verify that their type parameters align (assuming
+			// this behaves correctly with respect to type bounds).
 		}
+
 		return
 	}
 
 	// A concrete type implements T if it implements all methods of T.
 	for _, m := range T.allMethods {
+		// TODO(gri) should this be calling lookupFieldOrMethod instead (and why not)?
 		obj, _, _ := check.rawLookupFieldOrMethod(V, false, m.pkg, m.name)
 
 		// Check if *V implements this method of T.
@@ -318,6 +356,10 @@ func (check *Checker) missingMethod(V Type, T *Interface, static bool) (method,
 		// we must have a method (not a field of matching function type)
 		f, _ := obj.(*Func)
 		if f == nil {
+			// if m is the magic method == and V is comparable, we're ok
+			if m.name == "==" && Comparable(V) {
+				continue
+			}
 			return m, nil
 		}
 
@@ -326,9 +368,16 @@ func (check *Checker) missingMethod(V Type, T *Interface, static bool) (method,
 			check.objDecl(f, nil)
 		}
 
-		if !check.identical(f.typ, m.typ) {
+		if !check.identical(f.Type(), m.Type()) {
 			return m, f
 		}
+
+		// TODO(rFindley) delete this note once the spec has stabilized to exclude
+		//                method type parameters.
+		// NOTE: if enabling method type parameters, one needs to subst any
+		// receiver type parameters for V here, and unify f.Type() with m.Type() to
+		// verify that their type parameters align (assuming this behaves correctly
+		// with respect to type bounds).
 	}
 
 	return
@@ -339,11 +388,13 @@ func (check *Checker) missingMethod(V Type, T *Interface, static bool) (method,
 // method required by V and whether it is missing or just has the wrong type.
 // The receiver may be nil if assertableTo is invoked through an exported API call
 // (such as AssertableTo), i.e., when all methods have been type-checked.
+// If the global constant forceStrict is set, assertions that are known to fail
+// are not permitted.
 func (check *Checker) assertableTo(V *Interface, T Type) (method, wrongType *Func) {
 	// no static check is required if T is an interface
 	// spec: "If T is an interface type, x.(T) asserts that the
 	//        dynamic type of x implements the interface T."
-	if _, ok := T.Underlying().(*Interface); ok && !forceStrict {
+	if asInterface(T) != nil && !forceStrict {
 		return
 	}
 	return check.missingMethod(T, V, false)
@@ -361,8 +412,8 @@ func deref(typ Type) (Type, bool) {
 // derefStructPtr dereferences typ if it is a (named or unnamed) pointer to a
 // (named or unnamed) struct and returns its base. Otherwise it returns typ.
 func derefStructPtr(typ Type) Type {
-	if p, _ := typ.Underlying().(*Pointer); p != nil {
-		if _, ok := p.base.Underlying().(*Struct); ok {
+	if p := asPointer(typ); p != nil {
+		if asStruct(p.base) != nil {
 			return p.base
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/go/types/methodset.go b/src/go/types/methodset.go
index c34d732b7a..c44009f1a5 100644
--- a/src/go/types/methodset.go
+++ b/src/go/types/methodset.go
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ func NewMethodSet(T Type) *MethodSet {
 	// WARNING: The code in this function is extremely subtle - do not modify casually!
 	//          This function and lookupFieldOrMethod should be kept in sync.
 
+	// TODO(gri) This code is out-of-sync with the lookup code at this point.
+	//           Need to update.
+
 	// method set up to the current depth, allocated lazily
 	var base methodSet
 
@@ -108,7 +111,7 @@ func NewMethodSet(T Type) *MethodSet {
 
 			// If we have a named type, we may have associated methods.
 			// Look for those first.
-			if named, _ := typ.(*Named); named != nil {
+			if named := asNamed(typ); named != nil {
 				if seen[named] {
 					// We have seen this type before, at a more shallow depth
 					// (note that multiples of this type at the current depth