diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index 8f27c9ea2c..cdddce1b18 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -6743,6 +6743,25 @@ static Error parse_asm_template(IrBuilder *irb, AstNode *source_node, Buf *asm_t
     return ErrorNone;
 }
 
+static size_t find_asm_index(CodeGen *g, AstNode *node, AsmToken *tok, Buf *src_template) {
+    const char *ptr = buf_ptr(src_template) + tok->start + 2;
+    size_t len = tok->end - tok->start - 2;
+    size_t result = 0;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < node->data.asm_expr.output_list.length; i += 1, result += 1) {
+        AsmOutput *asm_output = node->data.asm_expr.output_list.at(i);
+        if (buf_eql_mem(asm_output->asm_symbolic_name, ptr, len)) {
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < node->data.asm_expr.input_list.length; i += 1, result += 1) {
+        AsmInput *asm_input = node->data.asm_expr.input_list.at(i);
+        if (buf_eql_mem(asm_input->asm_symbolic_name, ptr, len)) {
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+    return SIZE_MAX;
+}
+
 static IrInstruction *ir_gen_asm_expr(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *scope, AstNode *node) {
     Error err;
     assert(node->type == NodeTypeAsmExpr);
@@ -6830,6 +6849,22 @@ static IrInstruction *ir_gen_asm_expr(IrBuilder *irb, Scope *scope, AstNode *nod
         input_list[i] = input_value;
     }
 
+    for (size_t token_i = 0; token_i < tok_list.length; token_i += 1) {
+        AsmToken asm_token = tok_list.at(token_i);
+        if (asm_token.id == AsmTokenIdVar) {
+            size_t index = find_asm_index(irb->codegen, node, &asm_token, template_buf);
+            if (index == SIZE_MAX) {
+                const char *ptr = buf_ptr(template_buf) + asm_token.start + 2;
+                uint32_t len = asm_token.end - asm_token.start - 2;
+
+                add_node_error(irb->codegen, node,
+                    buf_sprintf("could not find '%.*s' in the inputs or outputs.",
+                        len, ptr));
+                return irb->codegen->invalid_instruction;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     return ir_build_asm(irb, scope, node, template_buf, tok_list.items, tok_list.length,
             input_list, output_types, output_vars, return_count, is_volatile);
 }
diff --git a/test/compile_errors.zig b/test/compile_errors.zig
index cecb37620c..a6a1d0219b 100644
--- a/test/compile_errors.zig
+++ b/test/compile_errors.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,25 @@ const tests = @import("tests.zig");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 
 pub fn addCases(cases: *tests.CompileErrorContext) void {
+    cases.addCase(x: {
+        var tc = cases.create("variable in inline assembly template cannot be found",
+            \\export fn entry() void {
+            \\    var sp = asm volatile (
+            \\        "mov %[foo], sp"
+            \\        : [bar] "=r" (-> usize)
+            \\    );
+            \\}
+        , "tmp.zig:2:14: error: could not find 'foo' in the inputs or outputs.");
+        tc.target = tests.Target{
+            .Cross = tests.CrossTarget{
+                .arch = .x86_64,
+                .os = .linux,
+                .abi = .gnu,
+            },
+        };
+        break :x tc;
+    });
+
     cases.add(
         "indirect recursion of async functions detected",
         \\var frame: ?anyframe = null;
diff --git a/test/tests.zig b/test/tests.zig
index c8aea33591..f7ef05d3cd 100644
--- a/test/tests.zig
+++ b/test/tests.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const debug = std.debug;
 const warn = debug.warn;
 const build = std.build;
+pub const Target = build.Target;
+pub const CrossTarget = build.CrossTarget;
 const Buffer = std.Buffer;
 const io = std.io;
 const fs = std.fs;
@@ -20,24 +22,18 @@ const runtime_safety = @import("runtime_safety.zig");
 const translate_c = @import("translate_c.zig");
 const gen_h = @import("gen_h.zig");
 
-const TestTarget = struct {
-    os: builtin.Os,
-    arch: builtin.Arch,
-    abi: builtin.Abi,
-};
-
-const test_targets = [_]TestTarget{
-    TestTarget{
+const test_targets = [_]CrossTarget{
+    CrossTarget{
         .os = .linux,
         .arch = .x86_64,
         .abi = .gnu,
     },
-    TestTarget{
+    CrossTarget{
         .os = .macosx,
         .arch = .x86_64,
         .abi = .gnu,
     },
-    TestTarget{
+    CrossTarget{
         .os = .windows,
         .arch = .x86_64,
         .abi = .msvc,
@@ -568,6 +564,7 @@ pub const CompileErrorContext = struct {
         link_libc: bool,
         is_exe: bool,
         is_test: bool,
+        target: Target = .Native,
 
         const SourceFile = struct {
             filename: []const u8,
@@ -655,6 +652,14 @@ pub const CompileErrorContext = struct {
             zig_args.append("--output-dir") catch unreachable;
             zig_args.append(b.pathFromRoot(b.cache_root)) catch unreachable;
 
+            switch (self.case.target) {
+                .Native => {},
+                .Cross => {
+                    try zig_args.append("-target");
+                    try zig_args.append(try self.case.target.zigTriple(b.allocator));
+                },
+            }
+
             switch (self.build_mode) {
                 Mode.Debug => {},
                 Mode.ReleaseSafe => zig_args.append("--release-safe") catch unreachable,