diff --git a/cmd/w6a/parse.c b/cmd/w6a/parse.c
index cd254d93..9feef271 100644
--- a/cmd/w6a/parse.c
+++ b/cmd/w6a/parse.c
@@ -197,8 +197,11 @@ parse_operand(Asm *a, const char *s, Aoperand *out)
 			out->offset = off;
 			return 0;
 		}
+		/* a_parsenum consumed the sign itself (strtoll); the local
+		 * `sign` exists only so isdigit() sees past the '-'.
+		 * Multiplying re-applied it: bare `-8` parsed as +8. */
 		out->type = D_CONST;
-		out->offset = off * sign;
+		out->offset = off;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -233,11 +236,12 @@ parse_operand(Asm *a, const char *s, Aoperand *out)
 				out->offset = sym_disp;
 				return 0;
 			}
-			out->type = D_INDIR;
-			out->reg = r;
-			out->offset = 0;
-			/* unusual case: name(REG) with named offset; not used */
-			return 0;
+			/* name(REG) with a non-SB register has no encoding
+			 * here; the old arm faked D_INDIR off an UNCHECKED
+			 * reg_lookup and silently discarded the ident and
+			 * +disp (rule 7). */
+			err(a, "unsupported name(reg) operand");
+			return -1;
 		}
 
 		int r = reg_lookup(buf);
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6a/parse.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6a/parse.ww
index 1aff73df..41caf4cd 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6a/parse.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6a/parse.ww
@@ -338,12 +338,14 @@ fn parseoperand(a: *asm_, p: *u8, offin: u64, n: u64, out: *aoperand) u64 = {
 						out.atype = D_EXTERN;
 						out.asym = dupstr(p + istart, in_);
 						out.offset = symdisp;
-					} else {
-						out.atype = D_INDIR;
-						out.reg = r;
-						out.offset = 0i64;
+						return cur2 + 1u64;
 					};
-					return cur2 + 1u64;
+					// name(REG) with a non-SB register has no
+					// encoding here; the old arm faked D_INDIR
+					// off an UNCHECKED reglookup and silently
+					// discarded the ident and +disp (rule 7).
+					perr(a, "unsupported name(reg) operand");
+					return n;
 				};
 				perr(a, "missing ')'");
 				return n;