diff --git a/modules/change_detection/src/parser/ast.js b/modules/change_detection/src/parser/ast.js
index be9ec58c42..78c7660019 100644
--- a/modules/change_detection/src/parser/ast.js
+++ b/modules/change_detection/src/parser/ast.js
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ export class AST {
     throw new BaseException("Not supported");
   }
 
+  get isAssignable() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   assign(context, value) {
     throw new BaseException("Not supported");
   }
@@ -75,6 +79,10 @@ export class FieldRead extends AST {
     return this.getter(this.receiver.eval(context));
   }
 
+  get isAssignable() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   assign(context, value) {
     return this.setter(this.receiver.eval(context), value);
   }
@@ -101,6 +109,11 @@ export class KeyedAccess extends AST {
       throw new BaseException(`Cannot access ${key} on ${obj}`);
     }
   }
+
+  get isAssignable() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   assign(context, value) {
     var obj = this.obj.eval(context);
     var key = this.key.eval(context);
diff --git a/modules/change_detection/src/parser/parser.js b/modules/change_detection/src/parser/parser.js
index 7c5a8235be..9d30a34899 100644
--- a/modules/change_detection/src/parser/parser.js
+++ b/modules/change_detection/src/parser/parser.js
@@ -150,9 +150,16 @@ class _ParseAST {
   }
 
   parseExpression() {
+    var start = this.inputIndex;
     var result = this.parseConditional();
 
     while (this.next.isOperator('=')) {
+      if (!result.isAssignable) {
+        var end = this.inputIndex;
+        var expression = this.input.substring(start, end);
+        this.error(`Expression ${expression} is not assignable`);
+      }
+
       this.expectOperator('=');
       result = new Assignment(result, this.parseConditional());
     }
diff --git a/modules/change_detection/test/parser/parser_spec.js b/modules/change_detection/test/parser/parser_spec.js
index 2ea396af84..b03c9b87d9 100644
--- a/modules/change_detection/test/parser/parser_spec.js
+++ b/modules/change_detection/test/parser/parser_spec.js
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ export function main() {
         expect(MapWrapper.get(context.a[0], "key")).toEqual(200);
       });
 
+      it('should throw on bad assignment', () => {
+        expectEvalError("5=4").toThrowError(new RegExp("Expression 5 is not assignable"));
+      });
+
       it('should evaluate array', () => {
         expectEval("[1][0]").toEqual(1);
         expectEval("[[1]][0][0]").toEqual(1);
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ export function main() {
       });
 
       it("should error when unfinished exception", () => {
-        expectEvalError('a[0 = 200').toThrowError(new RegExp("Missing expected ]"));
+        expectEvalError('a[0').toThrowError(new RegExp("Missing expected ]"));
       });
 
       it('should evaluate map', () => {
@@ -201,8 +205,6 @@ export function main() {
       });
 
       describe("parseBinding", () => {
-        //throw on assignment
-
         it("should parse formatters", function () {
           var exp = parseBinding("'Foo'|uppercase");
           expect(exp).toBeAnInstanceOf(Formatter);