diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Desugar.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Desugar.scala
index 961d63814c7b..3d0dd4ac5390 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Desugar.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Desugar.scala
@@ -1440,7 +1440,7 @@ object desugar {
     val buf = new ListBuffer[VarInfo]
     def seenName(name: Name) = buf exists (_._1.name == name)
     def add(named: NameTree, t: Tree): Unit =
-      if (!seenName(named.name)) buf += ((named, t))
+      if (!seenName(named.name) && named.name.isTermName) buf += ((named, t))
     def collect(tree: Tree): Unit = tree match {
       case Bind(nme.WILDCARD, tree1) =>
         collect(tree1)
diff --git a/tests/neg/i4453.scala b/tests/neg/i4453.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cc339f83b35b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i4453.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+class x0 { var x0 == _ * // error: _* can be used only for last argument // error: == cannot be used as an extractor in a pattern because it lacks an unapply or unapplySeq method
+// error '=' expected, but eof found
\ No newline at end of file