diff --git a/src/Psalm/Checker/CommentChecker.php b/src/Psalm/Checker/CommentChecker.php
index e219517d1..893ac33f6 100644
--- a/src/Psalm/Checker/CommentChecker.php
+++ b/src/Psalm/Checker/CommentChecker.php
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ class CommentChecker
                 && !strpos($line_parts[0], '::')
                 && $line_parts[0][0] !== '{'
             ) {
+                if ($line_parts[0][0] === '$' && $line_parts[0] !== '$this') {
+                    throw new DocblockParseException('Badly-formatted @param type');
+                }
+
                 $info->return_type = $line_parts[0];
                 $line_number = array_keys($return_specials)[0];
 
@@ -176,6 +180,10 @@ class CommentChecker
                             $line_parts[1] = substr($line_parts[1], 1);
                         }
 
+                        if ($line_parts[0][0] === '$' && $line_parts[0] !== '$this') {
+                            throw new DocblockParseException('Badly-formatted @param type');
+                        }
+
                         $line_parts[1] = preg_replace('/,$/', '', $line_parts[1]);
 
                         $info->params[] = [
@@ -290,6 +298,10 @@ class CommentChecker
                             $line_parts[1] = substr($line_parts[1], 1);
                         }
 
+                        if ($line_parts[0][0] === '$' && $line_parts[0] !== '$this') {
+                            throw new DocblockParseException('Badly-formatted @param type');
+                        }
+
                         $line_parts[1] = preg_replace('/,$/', '', $line_parts[1]);
 
                         $info->properties[] = [
diff --git a/tests/AnnotationTest.php b/tests/AnnotationTest.php
index 7588d3c03..fcc9715ca 100644
--- a/tests/AnnotationTest.php
+++ b/tests/AnnotationTest.php
@@ -173,6 +173,16 @@ class AnnotationTest extends TestCase
     public function providerFileCheckerInvalidCodeParse()
     {
         return [
+            'invalidReturn' => [
+                '<?php
+                    interface I {
+                        /**
+                         * @return $thus
+                         */
+                        public static function barBar();
+                    }',
+                'error_message' => 'InvalidDocblock'
+            ],
             'deprecatedMethodWithCall' => [
                 '<?php
                     class Foo {