diff --git a/cmd/wcc/check.c b/cmd/wcc/check.c
index 579eee83..86926ddc 100644
--- a/cmd/wcc/check.c
+++ b/cmd/wcc/check.c
@@ -909,6 +909,28 @@ cexpr(Checker *c, Node *n)
 				cs->type = vt;
 				for (Node *alt = cs->list; alt; alt = alt->next)
 					alt->type = resolve_type(c, alt);
+				/* Validity: every `case T =>` pattern must
+				 * refer to a variant of the scrutinee's
+				 * tagged union. Mirrors the existing is/as
+				 * check; `match (u) { case f64 => ... }`
+				 * where f64 isn't a variant of u is dead code
+				 * the dispatch never reaches, so refuse it. */
+				if (vt && vt != ty_err &&
+				    !variant_present(u->params, vt))
+					err(c, cs->pos,
+					    "case: %s is not a variant of %s",
+					    type_name(c->a, vt),
+					    type_name(c->a, st));
+				for (Node *alt = cs->list; alt; alt = alt->next) {
+					if (alt->type == NULL ||
+					    alt->type == ty_err) continue;
+					if (!variant_present(u->params,
+					    alt->type))
+						err(c, cs->pos,
+						    "case: %s is not a variant of %s",
+						    type_name(c->a, alt->type),
+						    type_name(c->a, st));
+				}
 				if (cs->str && cs->str[0])
 					scope_define(c->cur, cs->str, SK_VAR, vt, cs);
 			}
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index 329515b9..f1b1877c 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -4079,6 +4079,31 @@ fn err_match_variant(c: *checker, n: *node, vname: *node) void = {
 	c.errs += 1;
 };
 
+// case_variant_in — true iff `pat` (a `case T` pattern, including
+// each alt of a multi-pattern) names a variant of the tagged
+// union `tagged`.
+fn case_variant_in(tagged: *node, pat: *node) bool = {
+	let v: *node = tagged.list;
+	for (v != nil) {
+		if (type_eq_ast(v, pat)) { return true; };
+		v = v.next;
+	};
+	return false;
+};
+
+fn err_bad_case_variant(c: *checker, pat: *node) void = {
+	os.write(2, "case: not a variant of scrutinee".ptr, 32u64);
+	if (pat != nil) {
+		if (pat.kind == N_TNAME) {
+			os.write(2, " (".ptr, 2u64);
+			os.write(2, pat.str.ptr, pat.str.len: u64);
+			os.write(2, ")".ptr, 1u64);
+		};
+	};
+	os.write(2, "\n".ptr, 1u64);
+	c.errs += 1;
+};
+
 fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	if (n == nil) { return; };
 	if (n.lhs == nil) { return; };
@@ -4086,7 +4111,26 @@ fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	let u: *node = resolvealias(c, unwrapbang(st));
 	if (u == nil) { return; };
 	if (u.kind != N_TTAGGED) { return; };
-	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip.
+	// Validity: every `case T` pattern (and multi-pattern alts)
+	// must name a variant of u. Catches typos and dead arms that
+	// the dispatch would never reach.
+	let cs0: *node = n.list;
+	for (cs0 != nil) {
+		if (cs0.lhs != nil) {
+			if (!case_variant_in(u, cs0.lhs)) {
+				err_bad_case_variant(c, cs0.lhs);
+			};
+			let alt: *node = cs0.list;
+			for (alt != nil) {
+				if (!case_variant_in(u, alt)) {
+					err_bad_case_variant(c, alt);
+				};
+				alt = alt.next;
+			};
+		};
+		cs0 = cs0.next;
+	};
+	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip exhaustiveness.
 	let cs: *node = n.list;
 	for (cs != nil) {
 		if (cs.lhs == nil) { return; };	// default
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/check.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/check.ww
index 92bd67ed..feff0a0e 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/check.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/check.ww
@@ -362,6 +362,31 @@ fn err_match_variant(c: *checker, n: *node, vname: *node) void = {
 	c.errs += 1;
 };
 
+// case_variant_in — true iff `pat` (a `case T` pattern, including
+// each alt of a multi-pattern) names a variant of the tagged
+// union `tagged`.
+fn case_variant_in(tagged: *node, pat: *node) bool = {
+	let v: *node = tagged.list;
+	for (v != nil) {
+		if (type_eq_ast(v, pat)) { return true; };
+		v = v.next;
+	};
+	return false;
+};
+
+fn err_bad_case_variant(c: *checker, pat: *node) void = {
+	os.write(2, "case: not a variant of scrutinee".ptr, 32u64);
+	if (pat != nil) {
+		if (pat.kind == N_TNAME) {
+			os.write(2, " (".ptr, 2u64);
+			os.write(2, pat.str.ptr, pat.str.len: u64);
+			os.write(2, ")".ptr, 1u64);
+		};
+	};
+	os.write(2, "\n".ptr, 1u64);
+	c.errs += 1;
+};
+
 fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	if (n == nil) { return; };
 	if (n.lhs == nil) { return; };
@@ -369,7 +394,26 @@ fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	let u: *node = resolvealias(c, unwrapbang(st));
 	if (u == nil) { return; };
 	if (u.kind != N_TTAGGED) { return; };
-	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip.
+	// Validity: every `case T` pattern (and multi-pattern alts)
+	// must name a variant of u. Catches typos and dead arms that
+	// the dispatch would never reach.
+	let cs0: *node = n.list;
+	for (cs0 != nil) {
+		if (cs0.lhs != nil) {
+			if (!case_variant_in(u, cs0.lhs)) {
+				err_bad_case_variant(c, cs0.lhs);
+			};
+			let alt: *node = cs0.list;
+			for (alt != nil) {
+				if (!case_variant_in(u, alt)) {
+					err_bad_case_variant(c, alt);
+				};
+				alt = alt.next;
+			};
+		};
+		cs0 = cs0.next;
+	};
+	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip exhaustiveness.
 	let cs: *node = n.list;
 	for (cs != nil) {
 		if (cs.lhs == nil) { return; };	// default
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index 68feb3ab..6de333ca 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -4079,6 +4079,31 @@ fn err_match_variant(c: *checker, n: *node, vname: *node) void = {
 	c.errs += 1;
 };
 
+// case_variant_in — true iff `pat` (a `case T` pattern, including
+// each alt of a multi-pattern) names a variant of the tagged
+// union `tagged`.
+fn case_variant_in(tagged: *node, pat: *node) bool = {
+	let v: *node = tagged.list;
+	for (v != nil) {
+		if (type_eq_ast(v, pat)) { return true; };
+		v = v.next;
+	};
+	return false;
+};
+
+fn err_bad_case_variant(c: *checker, pat: *node) void = {
+	os.write(2, "case: not a variant of scrutinee".ptr, 32u64);
+	if (pat != nil) {
+		if (pat.kind == N_TNAME) {
+			os.write(2, " (".ptr, 2u64);
+			os.write(2, pat.str.ptr, pat.str.len: u64);
+			os.write(2, ")".ptr, 1u64);
+		};
+	};
+	os.write(2, "\n".ptr, 1u64);
+	c.errs += 1;
+};
+
 fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	if (n == nil) { return; };
 	if (n.lhs == nil) { return; };
@@ -4086,7 +4111,26 @@ fn check_match_exhaustive(c: *checker, n: *node) void = {
 	let u: *node = resolvealias(c, unwrapbang(st));
 	if (u == nil) { return; };
 	if (u.kind != N_TTAGGED) { return; };
-	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip.
+	// Validity: every `case T` pattern (and multi-pattern alts)
+	// must name a variant of u. Catches typos and dead arms that
+	// the dispatch would never reach.
+	let cs0: *node = n.list;
+	for (cs0 != nil) {
+		if (cs0.lhs != nil) {
+			if (!case_variant_in(u, cs0.lhs)) {
+				err_bad_case_variant(c, cs0.lhs);
+			};
+			let alt: *node = cs0.list;
+			for (alt != nil) {
+				if (!case_variant_in(u, alt)) {
+					err_bad_case_variant(c, alt);
+				};
+				alt = alt.next;
+			};
+		};
+		cs0 = cs0.next;
+	};
+	// Default arm absorbs anything; skip exhaustiveness.
 	let cs: *node = n.list;
 	for (cs != nil) {
 		if (cs.lhs == nil) { return; };	// default
diff --git a/test/wcc/300_check.c b/test/wcc/300_check.c
index 745dde29..56a3c0a8 100644
--- a/test/wcc/300_check.c
+++ b/test/wcc/300_check.c
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ static const struct row rows[] = {
 	/* nullable pointer folding accepts `(*T | void)` */
 	{ "fn lookup(p: *i32) (*i32 | void) = { return p; };", "ok" },
 	{ "fn lookup() (*i32 | void) = { return; };", "ok" },	/* bare return → null */
+
+	/* `case T` must name a variant of the scrutinee */
+	{ "fn pick() (i32 | str) = { return 1; }; "
+	  "fn caller() void = { let v: (i32 | str) = pick(); "
+	  "match (v) { case let n: i32 => { }; case let s: str => { }; "
+	  "case let f: f64 => { }; }; };",
+	  "case: f64 is not a variant" },
+	{ "fn pick() (i32 | str | bool) = { return 1; }; "
+	  "fn caller() i32 = { let v: (i32 | str | bool) = pick(); "
+	  "match (v) { case let n: i32 => return n; "
+	  "case str | f64 => return 9; case let b: bool => return 1; }; "
+	  "return 0; };",
+	  "case: f64 is not a variant" },
 };
 
 int
diff --git a/test/wcc/950_selfcheck.c b/test/wcc/950_selfcheck.c
index fd4efa2f..eba30de4 100644
--- a/test/wcc/950_selfcheck.c
+++ b/test/wcc/950_selfcheck.c
@@ -92,6 +92,17 @@ static const struct row rows[] = {
 	  "  return v + 1;\n"
 	  "};\n",
 	  "?: error variant not in enclosing return" },
+	/* case T => names a non-variant */
+	{ "fn pick() (i32 | str) = { return 1; };\n"
+	  "fn caller() void = {\n"
+	  "  let v: (i32 | str) = pick();\n"
+	  "  match (v) {\n"
+	  "    case let n: i32 => { };\n"
+	  "    case let s: str => { };\n"
+	  "    case let f: f64 => { };\n"
+	  "  };\n"
+	  "};\n",
+	  "case: not a variant" },
 };
 
 int
@@ -123,6 +134,8 @@ main(void)
 		    "?: enclosing fn return is not tagged") != NULL);
 		err_present = err_present || (err && strstr(err,
 		    "?: enclosing fn has no tagged-union return") != NULL);
+		err_present = err_present || (err && strstr(err,
+		    "case: not a variant") != NULL);
 		int ok;
 		if (expected_no_err) ok = !err_present;
 		else                 ok = got_match;