diff --git a/src/comp/front/ast.rs b/src/comp/front/ast.rs
index da94195ab93..85e525e8823 100644
--- a/src/comp/front/ast.rs
+++ b/src/comp/front/ast.rs
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ tag ty_ {
     ty_str;
     ty_box(mt);
     ty_vec(mt);
+    ty_ptr(mt);
     ty_task;
     ty_port(@ty);
     ty_chan(@ty);
diff --git a/src/comp/front/parser.rs b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
index 688bfb01e19..d7fecee6ca4 100644
--- a/src/comp/front/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
@@ -511,6 +511,11 @@ fn parse_ty(&parser p) -> @ast::ty {
         auto mt = parse_mt(p);
         hi = mt.ty.span.hi;
         t = ast::ty_box(mt);
+    } else if (p.peek() == token::BINOP(token::STAR)) {
+        p.bump();
+        auto mt = parse_mt(p);
+        hi = mt.ty.span.hi;
+        t = ast::ty_ptr(mt);
     } else if (eat_word(p, "vec")) {
         expect(p, token::LBRACKET);
         t = ast::ty_vec(parse_mt(p));
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/type-ptr.rs b/src/test/run-pass/type-ptr.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ccbba9218d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/type-ptr.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+fn f(*int a) {
+}
+
+fn main(vec[str] args) {
+  ret;
+}