diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mut_.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mut_.rs
index 52aa9fcff1..7c55110f5f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mut_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mut_.rs
@@ -148,3 +148,14 @@ fn def_should_not_mutate_mut() {
     assert!(actual.err.contains("capture of mutable variable"));
     assert!(!actual.status.success())
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn assign_to_non_mut_variable_raises_parse_error() {
+    let actual = nu!("let x = 3; $x = 4");
+    assert!(actual
+        .err
+        .contains("parser::assignment_requires_mutable_variable"));
+
+    let actual = nu!("mut x = 3; x = 5");
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("parser::assignment_requires_variable"));
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index b2b5756ef0..0f8e699729 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -4988,6 +4988,20 @@ pub fn parse_assignment_expression(
 
     // Parse the lhs and operator as usual for a math expression
     let mut lhs = parse_expression(working_set, lhs_spans);
+    // make sure that lhs is a mutable variable.
+    match &lhs.expr {
+        Expr::FullCellPath(p) => {
+            if let Expr::Var(var_id) = p.head.expr {
+                if var_id != nu_protocol::ENV_VARIABLE_ID
+                    && !working_set.get_variable(var_id).mutable
+                {
+                    working_set.error(ParseError::AssignmentRequiresMutableVar(lhs.span))
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        _ => working_set.error(ParseError::AssignmentRequiresVar(lhs.span)),
+    }
+
     let mut operator = parse_assignment_operator(working_set, op_span);
 
     // Re-parse the right-hand side as a subexpression
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/parse_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/parse_error.rs
index ce8522daa1..786ce97509 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/parse_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/parse_error.rs
@@ -515,6 +515,30 @@ pub enum ParseError {
         help("To spread arguments, the command needs to define a multi-positional parameter in its signature, such as ...rest")
     )]
     UnexpectedSpreadArg(String, #[label = "unexpected spread argument"] Span),
+
+    /// Invalid assignment left-hand side
+    ///
+    /// ## Resolution
+    ///
+    /// Assignment requires that you assign to a mutable variable or cell path.
+    #[error("Assignment to an immutable variable.")]
+    #[diagnostic(
+        code(nu::parser::assignment_requires_mutable_variable),
+        help("declare the variable with `mut`, or shadow it again with `let`")
+    )]
+    AssignmentRequiresMutableVar(#[label("needs to be a mutable variable")] Span),
+
+    /// Invalid assignment left-hand side
+    ///
+    /// ## Resolution
+    ///
+    /// Assignment requires that you assign to a variable or variable cell path.
+    #[error("Assignment operations require a variable.")]
+    #[diagnostic(
+        code(nu::parser::assignment_requires_variable),
+        help("try assigning to a variable or a cell path of a variable")
+    )]
+    AssignmentRequiresVar(#[label("needs to be a variable")] Span),
 }
 
 impl ParseError {
@@ -603,6 +627,8 @@ impl ParseError {
             ParseError::RedirectingBuiltinCommand(_, s, _) => *s,
             ParseError::UnexpectedSpreadArg(_, s) => *s,
             ParseError::ExtraTokensAfterClosingDelimiter(s) => *s,
+            ParseError::AssignmentRequiresVar(s) => *s,
+            ParseError::AssignmentRequiresMutableVar(s) => *s,
         }
     }
 }