2 files changed, 33 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/chisel3/internal/Builder.scala b/core/src/main/scala/chisel3/internal/Builder.scala
index 1c3a0005..b7772aea 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/chisel3/internal/Builder.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/chisel3/internal/Builder.scala
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import chisel3.experimental._
 import chisel3.internal.firrtl._
 import chisel3.internal.naming._
 import _root_.firrtl.annotations.{CircuitName, ComponentName, IsMember, ModuleName, Named, ReferenceTarget}
+import _root_.firrtl.annotations.AnnotationUtils.{validComponentName}
 import chisel3.internal.Builder.Prefix
 import logger.LazyLogging
 
@@ -276,6 +277,7 @@ private[chisel3] trait NamedComponent extends HasId {
     */
   final def toTarget: ReferenceTarget = {
     val name = this.instanceName
+    if (!validComponentName(name)) throwException(s"Illegal component name: $name (note: literals are illegal)")
     import _root_.firrtl.annotations.{Target, TargetToken}
     Target.toTargetTokens(name).toList match {
       case TargetToken.Ref(r) :: components => ReferenceTarget(this.circuitName, this.parentModName, Nil, r, components)
diff --git a/src/test/scala/chiselTests/LiteralToTargetSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/LiteralToTargetSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c404f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/LiteralToTargetSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package chiselTests
+
+import chisel3._
+import chisel3.stage.ChiselStage
+
+import org.scalatest._
+import org.scalatest.freespec.AnyFreeSpec
+import org.scalatest.matchers.should.Matchers
+
+
+class LiteralToTargetSpec extends AnyFreeSpec with Matchers {
+
+  "Literal Data should fail to be converted to ReferenceTarget" in {
+
+    the [chisel3.internal.ChiselException] thrownBy {
+
+      class Bar extends RawModule {
+        val a = 1.U
+      }
+
+      class Foo extends RawModule {
+        val bar = Module(new Bar)
+        bar.a.toTarget
+      }
+
+      ChiselStage.elaborate(new Foo)
+    } should have message "Illegal component name: UInt<1>(\"h01\") (note: literals are illegal)"
+  }
+}