diff --git a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encode.go b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encode.go
index 168e08b137a..764351db6d4 100644
--- a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encode.go
+++ b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encode.go
@@ -426,6 +426,12 @@ func (enc *Encoder) encodeMap(b *bytes.Buffer, mv reflect.Value, keyOp, elemOp e
 // by the concrete value.  A nil value gets sent as the empty string for the name,
 // followed by no value.
 func (enc *Encoder) encodeInterface(b *bytes.Buffer, iv reflect.Value) {
+	// Gobs can encode nil interface values but not typed interface
+	// values holding nil pointers, since nil pointers point to no value.
+	elem := iv.Elem()
+	if elem.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && elem.IsNil() {
+		errorf("gob: cannot encode nil pointer of type %s inside interface", iv.Elem().Type())
+	}
 	state := enc.newEncoderState(b)
 	state.fieldnum = -1
 	state.sendZero = true
@@ -454,7 +460,7 @@ func (enc *Encoder) encodeInterface(b *bytes.Buffer, iv reflect.Value) {
 	enc.pushWriter(b)
 	data := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	data.Write(spaceForLength)
-	enc.encode(data, iv.Elem(), ut)
+	enc.encode(data, elem, ut)
 	if enc.err != nil {
 		error_(enc.err)
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder.go b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder.go
index a15b5a1f9a1..51444bb5269 100644
--- a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder.go
+++ b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder.go
@@ -218,6 +218,12 @@ func (enc *Encoder) sendTypeId(state *encoderState, ut *userTypeInfo) {
 // EncodeValue transmits the data item represented by the reflection value,
 // guaranteeing that all necessary type information has been transmitted first.
 func (enc *Encoder) EncodeValue(value reflect.Value) error {
+	// Gobs contain values. They cannot represent nil pointers, which
+	// have no value to encode.
+	if value.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && value.IsNil() {
+		panic("gob: cannot encode nil pointer of type " + value.Type().String())
+	}
+
 	// Make sure we're single-threaded through here, so multiple
 	// goroutines can share an encoder.
 	enc.mutex.Lock()
diff --git a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder_test.go b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder_test.go
index c4947cbb8d3..c3c87dc4f1a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/encoding/gob/encoder_test.go
@@ -736,3 +736,47 @@ func TestPtrToMapOfMap(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected %v got %v", data, newData)
 	}
 }
+
+// A top-level nil pointer generates a panic with a helpful string-valued message.
+func TestTopLevelNilPointer(t *testing.T) {
+	errMsg := topLevelNilPanic(t)
+	if errMsg == "" {
+		t.Fatal("top-level nil pointer did not panic")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(errMsg, "nil pointer") {
+		t.Fatal("expected nil pointer error, got:", errMsg)
+	}
+}
+
+func topLevelNilPanic(t *testing.T) (panicErr string) {
+	defer func() {
+		e := recover()
+		if err, ok := e.(string); ok {
+			panicErr = err
+		}
+	}()
+	var ip *int
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	if err := NewEncoder(buf).Encode(ip); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("error in encode:", err)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func TestNilPointerInsideInterface(t *testing.T) {
+	var ip *int
+	si := struct {
+		I interface{}
+	}{
+		I: ip,
+	}
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	err := NewEncoder(buf).Encode(si)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error, got none")
+	}
+	errMsg := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(errMsg, "nil pointer") || !strings.Contains(errMsg, "interface") {
+		t.Fatal("expected error about nil pointer and interface, got:", errMsg)
+	}
+}