diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/op_string.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/op_string.go
index fe80e39064d781..f45163aef79396 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/op_string.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/op_string.go
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ package gc
 
 import "strconv"
 
-const _Op_name = "XXXNAMENONAMETYPEPACKLITERALADDSUBORXORADDSTRADDRANDANDAPPENDBYTES2STRBYTES2STRTMPRUNES2STRSTR2BYTESSTR2BYTESTMPSTR2RUNESASAS2AS2FUNCAS2RECVAS2MAPRAS2DOTTYPEASOPCALLCALLFUNCCALLMETHCALLINTERCALLPARTCAPCLOSECLOSURECOMPLITMAPLITSTRUCTLITARRAYLITSLICELITPTRLITCONVCONVIFACECONVNOPCOPYDCLDCLFUNCDCLFIELDDCLCONSTDCLTYPEDELETEDOTDOTPTRDOTMETHDOTINTERXDOTDOTTYPEDOTTYPE2EQNELTLEGEGTDEREFINDEXINDEXMAPKEYSTRUCTKEYLENMAKEMAKECHANMAKEMAPMAKESLICEMULDIVMODLSHRSHANDANDNOTNEWNOTBITNOTPLUSNEGORORPANICPRINTPRINTNPARENSENDSLICESLICEARRSLICESTRSLICE3SLICE3ARRSLICEHEADERRECOVERRECVRUNESTRSELRECVSELRECV2IOTAREALIMAGCOMPLEXALIGNOFOFFSETOFSIZEOFBLOCKBREAKCASEXCASECONTINUEDEFEREMPTYFALLFORFORUNTILGOTOIFLABELGORANGERETURNSELECTSWITCHTYPESWTCHANTMAPTSTRUCTTINTERTFUNCTARRAYDDDDDDARGINLCALLEFACEITABIDATASPTRCLOSUREVARCFUNCCHECKNILVARDEFVARKILLVARLIVEINDREGSPRETJMPGETGEND"
+const _Op_name = "XXXNAMENONAMETYPEPACKLITERALADDSUBORXORADDSTRADDRANDANDAPPENDBYTES2STRBYTES2STRTMPRUNES2STRSTR2BYTESSTR2BYTESTMPSTR2RUNESASAS2AS2FUNCAS2RECVAS2MAPRAS2DOTTYPEASOPCALLCALLFUNCCALLMETHCALLINTERCALLPARTCAPCLOSECLOSURECOMPLITMAPLITSTRUCTLITARRAYLITSLICELITPTRLITCONVCONVIFACECONVNOPCOPYDCLDCLFUNCDCLFIELDDCLCONSTDCLTYPEDELETEDOTDOTPTRDOTMETHDOTINTERXDOTDOTTYPEDOTTYPE2EQNELTLEGEGTDEREFINDEXINDEXMAPKEYSTRUCTKEYLENMAKEMAKECHANMAKEMAPMAKESLICEMULDIVMODLSHRSHANDANDNOTNEWNOTBITNOTPLUSNEGORORPANICPRINTPRINTNPARENSENDSLICESLICEARRSLICESTRSLICE3SLICE3ARRSLICEHEADERRECOVERRECVRUNESTRSELRECVSELRECV2IOTAREALIMAGCOMPLEXALIGNOFOFFSETOFSIZEOFBLOCKBREAKCASEXCASECONTINUEDEFEREMPTYFALLFORFORUNTILGOTOIFLABELGORANGERETURNSELECTSWITCHTYPESWUNREACHABLETCHANTMAPTSTRUCTTINTERTFUNCTARRAYDDDDDDARGINLCALLEFACEITABIDATASPTRCLOSUREVARCFUNCCHECKNILVARDEFVARKILLVARLIVEINDREGSPINLMARKRETJMPGETGEND"
 
-var _Op_index = [...]uint16{0, 3, 7, 13, 17, 21, 28, 31, 34, 36, 39, 45, 49, 55, 61, 70, 82, 91, 100, 112, 121, 123, 126, 133, 140, 147, 157, 161, 165, 173, 181, 190, 198, 201, 206, 213, 220, 226, 235, 243, 251, 257, 261, 270, 277, 281, 284, 291, 299, 307, 314, 320, 323, 329, 336, 344, 348, 355, 363, 365, 367, 369, 371, 373, 375, 380, 385, 393, 396, 405, 408, 412, 420, 427, 436, 439, 442, 445, 448, 451, 454, 460, 463, 466, 472, 476, 479, 483, 488, 493, 499, 504, 508, 513, 521, 529, 535, 544, 555, 562, 566, 573, 580, 588, 592, 596, 600, 607, 614, 622, 628, 633, 638, 642, 647, 655, 660, 665, 669, 672, 680, 684, 686, 691, 693, 698, 704, 710, 716, 722, 727, 731, 738, 744, 749, 755, 758, 764, 771, 776, 780, 785, 789, 799, 804, 812, 818, 825, 832, 840, 846, 850, 853}
+var _Op_index = [...]uint16{0, 3, 7, 13, 17, 21, 28, 31, 34, 36, 39, 45, 49, 55, 61, 70, 82, 91, 100, 112, 121, 123, 126, 133, 140, 147, 157, 161, 165, 173, 181, 190, 198, 201, 206, 213, 220, 226, 235, 243, 251, 257, 261, 270, 277, 281, 284, 291, 299, 307, 314, 320, 323, 329, 336, 344, 348, 355, 363, 365, 367, 369, 371, 373, 375, 380, 385, 393, 396, 405, 408, 412, 420, 427, 436, 439, 442, 445, 448, 451, 454, 460, 463, 466, 472, 476, 479, 483, 488, 493, 499, 504, 508, 513, 521, 529, 535, 544, 555, 562, 566, 573, 580, 588, 592, 596, 600, 607, 614, 622, 628, 633, 638, 642, 647, 655, 660, 665, 669, 672, 680, 684, 686, 691, 693, 698, 704, 710, 716, 722, 733, 738, 742, 749, 755, 760, 766, 769, 775, 782, 787, 791, 796, 800, 810, 815, 823, 829, 836, 843, 851, 858, 864, 868, 871}
 
 func (i Op) String() string {
 	if i >= Op(len(_Op_index)-1) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
index 4848a02bb6a8c4..fbdfa3cd575aa5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ func (o *Order) stmt(n *Node) {
 	default:
 		Fatalf("orderstmt %v", n.Op)
 
-	case OVARKILL, OVARLIVE, OINLMARK:
+	case OVARKILL, OVARLIVE, OINLMARK, OUNREACHABLE:
 		o.out = append(o.out, n)
 
 	case OAS:
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
index 95904edd6a063d..fc647df6597cd2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
@@ -804,6 +804,12 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 				// go through SSA.
 			}
 		}
+	case OUNREACHABLE:
+		m := s.mem()
+		b := s.endBlock()
+		b.Kind = ssa.BlockExit
+		b.Aux = "unreachable" // TODO: new block kind instead of this hack
+		b.SetControl(m)
 	case ODEFER:
 		s.call(n.Left, callDefer)
 	case OGO:
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
index 5f07c6c52ad25e..b59116561ee325 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
@@ -728,6 +728,8 @@ const (
 	OSWITCH // switch Ninit; Left { List } (List is a list of OXCASE or OCASE)
 	OTYPESW // Left = Right.(type) (appears as .Left of OSWITCH)
 
+	OUNREACHABLE // unsafe.Unreachable()
+
 	// types
 	OTCHAN   // chan int
 	OTMAP    // map[string]int
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index 69ba9ef52a0412..0762b1ce0438b4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -1405,6 +1405,13 @@ func typecheck1(n *Node, top int) (res *Node) {
 		// any side effects disappear; ignore init
 		setintconst(n, evalunsafe(n))
 
+	case OUNREACHABLE:
+		ok |= ctxStmt
+		if !zeroargs(n, "unsafe.Unreachable") {
+			n.Type = nil
+			return n
+		}
+
 	case OCAP, OLEN:
 		ok |= ctxExpr
 		if !onearg(n, "%v", n.Op) {
@@ -2369,6 +2376,14 @@ func implicitstar(n *Node) *Node {
 	return n
 }
 
+func zeroargs(n *Node, f string) bool {
+	if n.List.Len() != 0 {
+		yyerror("too many arguments to %s: %v", f, n)
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func onearg(n *Node, f string, args ...interface{}) bool {
 	if n.Left != nil {
 		return true
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
index 104c6bab23d328..f3fdff58892995 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/universe.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ var unsafeFuncs = [...]struct {
 	{"Alignof", OALIGNOF},
 	{"Offsetof", OOFFSETOF},
 	{"Sizeof", OSIZEOF},
+	{"Unreachable", OUNREACHABLE},
 }
 
 // initUniverse initializes the universe block.
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
index 41a9d8e9dcc470..55f6b2e7d1c511 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
@@ -122,12 +122,12 @@ func walkstmt(n *Node) *Node {
 
 	switch n.Op {
 	default:
+		Dump("nottop", n)
 		if n.Op == ONAME {
-			yyerror("%v is not a top level statement", n.Sym)
+			Fatalf("%v is not a top level statement", n.Sym)
 		} else {
-			yyerror("%v is not a top level statement", n.Op)
+			Fatalf("%v is not a top level statement", n.Op)
 		}
-		Dump("nottop", n)
 
 	case OAS,
 		OASOP,
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ func walkstmt(n *Node) *Node {
 		OCHECKNIL,
 		OVARDEF,
 		OVARKILL,
-		OVARLIVE:
+		OVARLIVE,
+		OUNREACHABLE:
 		break
 
 	case ODCL:
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
index 38f12abf1858cf..066f089e9fa072 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ var passes = [...]pass{
 	{name: "phiopt", fn: phiopt},
 	{name: "nilcheckelim", fn: nilcheckelim},
 	{name: "prove", fn: prove},
+	{name: "unreachable", fn: unreachable}, // TODO: is this in the right place? TODO: flag to disable?
 	{name: "fuse plain", fn: fusePlain},
 	{name: "decompose builtin", fn: decomposeBuiltIn, required: true},
 	{name: "softfloat", fn: softfloat, required: true},
@@ -447,6 +448,8 @@ var passOrder = [...]constraint{
 	{"generic cse", "prove"},
 	// deadcode after prove to eliminate all new dead blocks.
 	{"prove", "generic deadcode"},
+	// unreachable after prove so that prove can use unreachability information
+	{"prove", "unreachable"},
 	// common-subexpression before dead-store elim, so that we recognize
 	// when two address expressions are the same.
 	{"generic cse", "dse"},
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/unreachable.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/unreachable.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e2eaa7a1f01486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/unreachable.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package ssa
+
+// unreachable removes blocks generated by unsafe.Unreachable.
+func unreachable(f *Func) {
+	// if os.Getenv("J") == "" {
+	// 	return
+	// }
+	changed := false
+	for _, b := range f.Blocks {
+		// TODO: this is a hack.
+		// We should probably explicitly represent unsafe.Unreachable
+		// with its own block kind.
+		if b.Aux != "unreachable" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if b == f.Entry {
+			// TODO: what here?
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, e := range b.Preds {
+			p := e.b
+			if len(p.Succs) != 2 {
+				// TODO: is this possible? if so, handle.
+				continue
+			}
+			p.removeSucc(e.i)
+			p.Kind = BlockPlain
+			p.Likely = BranchUnknown
+			p.SetControl(nil)
+
+			// trash b, just in case
+			b.Kind = BlockInvalid
+			b.Values = nil
+			b.Preds = nil
+			b.Succs = nil
+			changed = true
+		}
+	}
+	if changed {
+		f.invalidateCFG()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/go/types/builtins.go b/src/go/types/builtins.go
index ece6d4f530cfe5..029b064a03af4c 100644
--- a/src/go/types/builtins.go
+++ b/src/go/types/builtins.go
@@ -586,6 +586,9 @@ func (check *Checker) builtin(x *operand, call *ast.CallExpr, id builtinId) (_ b
 		x.typ = Typ[Uintptr]
 		// result is constant - no need to record signature
 
+	case _Unreachable:
+		x.mode = novalue
+
 	case _Sizeof:
 		// unsafe.Sizeof(x T) uintptr
 		check.assignment(x, nil, "argument to unsafe.Sizeof")
diff --git a/src/go/types/universe.go b/src/go/types/universe.go
index 7af6dab320edd1..1e53032e92d4f8 100644
--- a/src/go/types/universe.go
+++ b/src/go/types/universe.go
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ const (
 	_Alignof
 	_Offsetof
 	_Sizeof
+	_Unreachable
 
 	// testing support
 	_Assert
@@ -158,9 +159,10 @@ var predeclaredFuncs = [...]struct {
 	_Real:    {"real", 1, false, expression},
 	_Recover: {"recover", 0, false, statement},
 
-	_Alignof:  {"Alignof", 1, false, expression},
-	_Offsetof: {"Offsetof", 1, false, expression},
-	_Sizeof:   {"Sizeof", 1, false, expression},
+	_Alignof:     {"Alignof", 1, false, expression},
+	_Offsetof:    {"Offsetof", 1, false, expression},
+	_Sizeof:      {"Sizeof", 1, false, expression},
+	_Unreachable: {"Unreachable", 0, false, statement},
 
 	_Assert: {"assert", 1, false, statement},
 	_Trace:  {"trace", 0, true, statement},