diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/preprocess.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/preprocess.go
index 33a6beea581..c485fd43346 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/preprocess.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/preprocess.go
@@ -1607,9 +1607,20 @@ func Preprocess(store Store, ctx BlockNode, n Node) Node {
 							}
 						}
 					}
-				} else { // ASSIGN.
+				} else { // ASSIGN, or assignment operation (+=, -=, <<=, etc.)
+					// If this is an assignment operation, ensure there's only 1
+					// expr on lhs/rhs.
+					if n.Op != ASSIGN &&
+						(len(n.Lhs) != 1 || len(n.Rhs) != 1) {
+						panic("assignment operator " + n.Op.TokenString() +
+							" requires only one expression on lhs and rhs")
+					}
+
 					// NOTE: Keep in sync with DEFINE above.
-					if len(n.Lhs) > len(n.Rhs) {
+					if n.Op == SHL_ASSIGN || n.Op == SHR_ASSIGN {
+						// Special case if shift assign <<= or >>=.
+						checkOrConvertType(store, last, &n.Rhs[0], UintType, false)
+					} else if len(n.Lhs) > len(n.Rhs) {
 						// TODO dry code w/ above.
 						// Unpack n.Rhs[0] to n.Lhs[:]
 						if len(n.Rhs) != 1 {
@@ -1641,12 +1652,6 @@ func Preprocess(store Store, ctx BlockNode, n Node) Node {
 						default:
 							panic("should not happen")
 						}
-					} else if n.Op == SHL_ASSIGN || n.Op == SHR_ASSIGN {
-						if len(n.Lhs) != 1 || len(n.Rhs) != 1 {
-							panic("should not happen")
-						}
-						// Special case if shift assign <<= or >>=.
-						checkOrConvertType(store, last, &n.Rhs[0], UintType, false)
 					} else {
 						// General case: a, b = x, y.
 						for i, lx := range n.Lhs {
diff --git a/gnovm/tests/files/assign22.gno b/gnovm/tests/files/assign22.gno
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bedb8b4adb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/tests/files/assign22.gno
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	m := map[string]int{"a": 1}
+	var s int
+	var ok bool
+	s, ok <<= m["a"]
+	println(s, ok)
+}
+
+// Error:
+// main/files/assign22.gno:7: assignment operator <<= requires only one expression on lhs and rhs
diff --git a/gnovm/tests/files/assign23.gno b/gnovm/tests/files/assign23.gno
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ab648774028
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/tests/files/assign23.gno
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	m := map[string]int{"a": 1}
+	var s int
+	var ok bool
+	s, ok += m["a"]
+	println(s, ok)
+}
+
+// Error:
+// main/files/assign23.gno:7: assignment operator += requires only one expression on lhs and rhs