diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index cec7a72f3e8e..b77d86d24991 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -1073,7 +1073,10 @@ object Parsers {
 
     /** Accept identifier and return Ident with its name as a term name. */
     def termIdent(): Ident =
-      makeIdent(in.token, in.offset, ident())
+      val t = makeIdent(in.token, in.offset, ident())
+      if t.name == nme.ROOTPKG then
+        syntaxError(em"Illegal use of root package name.")
+      t
 
     /** Accept identifier and return Ident with its name as a type name. */
     def typeIdent(): Ident =
@@ -1128,19 +1131,21 @@ object Parsers {
 
       if in.token == THIS then handleThis(EmptyTypeIdent)
       else if in.token == SUPER then handleSuper(EmptyTypeIdent)
-      else
-        val t = termIdent()
-        if in.token == DOT then
-          def qual = cpy.Ident(t)(t.name.toTypeName)
-          in.lookahead.token match
-            case THIS =>
-              in.nextToken()
-              handleThis(qual)
-            case SUPER =>
-              in.nextToken()
-              handleSuper(qual)
-            case _ => t
-        else t
+      else if in.token != INTERPOLATIONID && in.lookahead.token == DOT then
+        val tok    = in.token
+        val offset = in.offset
+        val name   = ident()
+        def qual   = makeIdent(tok, offset, name.toTypeName)
+        in.lookahead.token match
+          case THIS =>
+            in.nextToken()
+            handleThis(qual)
+          case SUPER =>
+            in.nextToken()
+            handleSuper(qual)
+          case _ =>
+            makeIdent(tok, offset, name)
+      else termIdent()
     end simpleRef
 
     /** MixinQualifier ::= `[' id `]'
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
index ee8aa668296d..d09597b9776a 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
@@ -569,7 +569,9 @@ class Typer(@constructorOnly nestingLevel: Int = 0) extends Namer
     // optimization, it also avoids forcing imports thus potentially avoiding
     // cyclic references.
     if (name == nme.ROOTPKG)
-      return tree.withType(defn.RootPackage.termRef)
+      val tree2 = tree.withType(defn.RootPackage.termRef)
+      checkLegalValue(tree2, pt)
+      return tree2
 
     val rawType =
       val saved1 = unimported
@@ -586,8 +588,8 @@ class Typer(@constructorOnly nestingLevel: Int = 0) extends Namer
           foundUnderScala2
         else found
       finally
-      	unimported = saved1
-      	foundUnderScala2 = saved2
+        unimported = saved1
+        foundUnderScala2 = saved2
 
     /** Normally, returns `ownType` except if `ownType` is a constructor proxy,
      *  and there is another shadowed type accessible with the same name that is not:
diff --git a/tests/neg/i18020.scala b/tests/neg/i18020.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b924c136d863
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i18020.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import _root_.scala.StringContext // ok
+
+class Test :
+  val Foo = 1
+  def foo0: Unit =
+    val x = new _root_.scala.StringContext() // ok
+    val y: Option[_root_.scala.Serializable] = None // ok
+    val z: _root_.scala.None.type = None
+    val w = _root_.scala.None
+    val (_root_, other) = (1, 2) // error
+    val (Test.this.Foo, 1) = ???
+    ??? match
+      case (Test.this.Foo, 1) => ()
+
+def foo3 =
+  val _root_ = "abc" // error
+
+def foo1: Unit =
+  val _root_: String = "abc" // error // error
+  // _root_: is, technically, a legal name
+  // so then it tries to construct the infix op pattern
+  // "_root_ String .." and then throws in a null when it fails
+  // to find an argument
+  // then Typer rejects "String" as an infix extractor (like ::)
+  // which is the second error
+
+def foo2: Unit = // error
+  val _root_ : String = "abc" // error
+
+// i17757
+def fooVal: Unit =
+  val _root_  = "abc" // error
+  println(_root_.length)  // error
+  println(_root_)  // error
+
+def barVal: Unit =
+  _root_  // error
+  _root_.scala  // error
+  println(_root_)  // error
+  println(_root_.scala)  // error
+
+// i18050
+package p {
+  package _root_ { // error
+    object X // error
+  }
+}
+
+// scala/bug#12508
+package _root_ { // error
+  class C {
+    val _root_ = 42 // error
+  }
+}
+package _root_.p { // error
+  class C
+}
+
+// from ScalaPB
+def fromScalaPb(x: Option[String]) = x match
+  case _root_.scala.Some(s) => s
+  case _                    => ""