diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 803ce56200..a4435718b4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -682,10 +682,19 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) infix_expr(mut infix_expr ast.InfixExpr) table.Type {
 		}
 		.arrow { // `chan <- elem`
 			if left.kind == .chan {
-				elem_type := left.chan_info().elem_type
+				chan_info := left.chan_info()
+				elem_type := chan_info.elem_type
 				if !c.check_types(right_type, elem_type) {
 					c.error('cannot push `$right.name` on `$left.name`', right_pos)
 				}
+				if chan_info.is_mut {
+					// TODO: The error message of the following could be more specific...
+					c.fail_if_immutable(infix_expr.right)
+				}
+				if elem_type.is_ptr() && !right_type.is_ptr() {
+					c.error('cannon push non-reference `$right.source_name` on `$left.source_name`',
+						right_pos)
+				}
 			} else {
 				c.error('cannot push on non-channel `$left.name`', left_pos)
 			}
@@ -1687,8 +1696,9 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) assign_stmt(mut assign_stmt ast.AssignStmt) {
 	}
 	right_first := assign_stmt.right[0]
 	mut right_len := assign_stmt.right.len
+	mut right_type0 := table.void_type
 	if right_first is ast.CallExpr || right_first is ast.IfExpr || right_first is ast.MatchExpr {
-		right_type0 := c.expr(right_first)
+		right_type0 = c.expr(right_first)
 		assign_stmt.right_types = [
 			c.check_expr_opt_call(right_first, right_type0),
 		]
@@ -1710,19 +1720,34 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) assign_stmt(mut assign_stmt ast.AssignStmt) {
 		}
 		return
 	}
-	// Check `x := &y`
+	// Check `x := &y` and `mut x := <-ch`
 	if right_first is ast.PrefixExpr {
 		node := right_first
 		left_first := assign_stmt.left[0]
-		if node.op == .amp && node.right is ast.Ident {
-			ident := node.right as ast.Ident
-			scope := c.file.scope.innermost(node.pos.pos)
-			if v := scope.find_var(ident.name) {
-				if left_first is ast.Ident {
-					assigned_var := left_first
-					if !v.is_mut && assigned_var.is_mut && !c.inside_unsafe {
-						c.error('`$ident.name` is immutable, cannot have a mutable reference to it',
-							node.pos)
+		if left_first is ast.Ident {
+			assigned_var := left_first
+			if node.right is ast.Ident {
+				ident := node.right as ast.Ident
+				scope := c.file.scope.innermost(node.pos.pos)
+				if v := scope.find_var(ident.name) {
+					right_type0 = v.typ
+					if node.op == .amp {
+						if !v.is_mut && assigned_var.is_mut && !c.inside_unsafe {
+							c.error('`$ident.name` is immutable, cannot have a mutable reference to it',
+								node.pos)
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			if node.op == .arrow {
+				if assigned_var.is_mut {
+					right_sym := c.table.get_type_symbol(right_type0)
+					if right_sym.kind == .chan {
+						chan_info := right_sym.chan_info()
+						if chan_info.elem_type.is_ptr() && !chan_info.is_mut {
+							c.error('cannot have a mutable reference to object from `$right_sym.source_name`',
+								node.pos)
+						}
 					}
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86835c45b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.out
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv:8:8: error: `v` is immutable, declare it with `mut` to make it mutable
+    6 | fn f(ch chan mut St) {
+    7 |     v := St{}
+    8 |     ch <- v
+      |           ^
+    9 |     mut w := St{}
+   10 |     ch <- w
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv:10:8: error: cannon push non-reference `St` on `chan mut St`
+    8 |     ch <- v
+    9 |     mut w := St{}
+   10 |     ch <- w
+      |           ^
+   11 |     x := &St{}
+   12 |     ch <- x
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv:12:8: error: `x` is immutable, declare it with `mut` to make it mutable
+   10 |     ch <- w
+   11 |     x := &St{}
+   12 |     ch <- x
+      |           ^
+   13 |     mut y := St{}
+   14 |     ch <- y
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv:14:8: error: cannon push non-reference `St` on `chan mut St`
+   12 |     ch <- x
+   13 |     mut y := St{}
+   14 |     ch <- y
+      |           ^
+   15 |     mut z := &St{n: 7}
+   16 |     // this works
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1250c51644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_mut.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+struct St{
+mut:
+	n int
+}
+
+fn f(ch chan mut St) {
+	v := St{}
+	ch <- v
+	mut w := St{}
+	ch <- w
+	x := &St{}
+	ch <- x
+	mut y := St{}
+	ch <- y
+	mut z := &St{n: 7}
+	// this works
+	ch <- z
+}
+
+fn main() {
+	c := chan mut St{}
+	go f(c)
+	mut y := <-c
+	z := <-c
+	println(y)
+	println(z)
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7675b91824
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.out
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv:10:8: error: cannon push non-reference `St` on `chan &St`
+    8 | fn f(ch chan &St, sem sync.Semaphore) {
+    9 |     w := St{}
+   10 |     ch <- w
+      |           ^
+   11 |     mut x := St{}
+   12 |     ch <- x
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv:12:8: error: cannon push non-reference `St` on `chan &St`
+   10 |     ch <- w
+   11 |     mut x := St{}
+   12 |     ch <- x
+      |           ^
+   13 |     // the following works
+   14 |     y := &St{}
+vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv:28:11: error: cannot have a mutable reference to object from `chan &St`
+   26 |     y := <-c
+   27 |     // this should fail
+   28 |     mut z := <-c
+      |              ~~
+   29 |     z.n = 9
+   30 |     sem.post()
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f187781747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/chan_ref.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import sync
+
+struct St{
+mut:
+	n int
+}
+
+fn f(ch chan &St, sem sync.Semaphore) {
+	w := St{}
+	ch <- w
+	mut x := St{}
+	ch <- x
+	// the following works
+	y := &St{}
+	ch <- y
+	mut z := &St{}
+	ch <- z
+	sem.wait()
+	println(z)
+}
+
+fn main() {
+	c := chan &St{}
+	sem := sync.new_semaphore()
+	go f(c, sem)
+	y := <-c
+	// this should fail
+	mut z := <-c
+	z.n = 9
+	sem.post()
+	println(y)
+	println(z)
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parse_type.v b/vlib/v/parser/parse_type.v
index fe37005f90..a25c39bfd8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parse_type.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parse_type.v
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) parse_chan_type() table.Type {
 	}
 	p.register_auto_import('sync')
 	p.next()
+	is_mut := p.tok.kind == .key_mut
 	elem_type := p.parse_type()
-	idx := p.table.find_or_register_chan(elem_type)
+	idx := p.table.find_or_register_chan(elem_type, is_mut)
 	return table.new_type(idx)
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/table/atypes.v b/vlib/v/table/atypes.v
index 232f1d816c..7044b5485c 100644
--- a/vlib/v/table/atypes.v
+++ b/vlib/v/table/atypes.v
@@ -762,6 +762,7 @@ pub mut:
 pub struct Chan {
 pub mut:
 	elem_type Type
+	is_mut    bool
 }
 
 pub struct Map {
diff --git a/vlib/v/table/table.v b/vlib/v/table/table.v
index db12d63819..b2f5ac84e0 100644
--- a/vlib/v/table/table.v
+++ b/vlib/v/table/table.v
@@ -357,16 +357,26 @@ pub fn (t &Table) array_fixed_source_name(elem_type Type, size int) string {
 }
 
 [inline]
-pub fn (t &Table) chan_name(elem_type Type) string {
+pub fn (t &Table) chan_name(elem_type Type, is_mut bool) string {
 	elem_type_sym := t.get_type_symbol(elem_type)
-	suffix := if elem_type.is_ptr() { '_ptr' } else { '' }
+	mut suffix := ''
+	if is_mut {
+		suffix = '_mut'
+	} else if elem_type.is_ptr() {
+		suffix = '_ptr'
+	}
 	return 'chan_$elem_type_sym.name' + suffix
 }
 
 [inline]
-pub fn (t &Table) chan_source_name(elem_type Type) string {
+pub fn (t &Table) chan_source_name(elem_type Type, is_mut bool) string {
 	elem_type_sym := t.get_type_symbol(elem_type)
-	ptr := if elem_type.is_ptr() { '&' } else { '' }
+	mut ptr := ''
+	if is_mut {
+		ptr = 'mut '
+	} else if elem_type.is_ptr() {
+		ptr = '&'
+	}
 	return 'chan $ptr$elem_type_sym.source_name'
 }
 
@@ -389,9 +399,9 @@ pub fn (t &Table) map_source_name(key_type, value_type Type) string {
 	return 'map[${key_type_sym.source_name}]$ptr$value_type_sym.source_name'
 }
 
-pub fn (mut t Table) find_or_register_chan(elem_type Type) int {
-	name := t.chan_name(elem_type)
-	source_name := t.chan_source_name(elem_type)
+pub fn (mut t Table) find_or_register_chan(elem_type Type, is_mut bool) int {
+	name := t.chan_name(elem_type, is_mut)
+	source_name := t.chan_source_name(elem_type, is_mut)
 	// existing
 	existing_idx := t.type_idxs[name]
 	if existing_idx > 0 {
@@ -405,6 +415,7 @@ pub fn (mut t Table) find_or_register_chan(elem_type Type) int {
 		source_name: source_name
 		info: Chan{
 			elem_type: elem_type
+			is_mut:    is_mut
 		}
 	}
 	return t.register_type_symbol(chan_typ)
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/semaphore_timed_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/semaphore_timed_test.v
index ca876a551d..62fadf9a48 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/semaphore_timed_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/semaphore_timed_test.v
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ fn test_semaphore() {
 	// wait for the 2 coroutines to finish using the semaphore
 	stopwatch := time.new_stopwatch({})
 	mut elapsed := stopwatch.elapsed()
-	if !sem.timed_wait(50 * time.millisecond) {
+	if !sem.timed_wait(200 * time.millisecond) {
 		// we should come here due to timeout
 		elapsed = stopwatch.elapsed()
 	}
-	println('elapsed: ${f64(elapsed)/time.second}s')
-	assert elapsed >= 48* time.millisecond
+	elapsed_ms := f64(elapsed)/time.millisecond
+	println('elapsed: ${elapsed_ms:.1f}ms')
+	assert elapsed_ms >= 195.0
 }