diff --git a/src/context/context.go b/src/context/context.go
index b561968f31c764..b3fdb8277afc37 100644
--- a/src/context/context.go
+++ b/src/context/context.go
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ type CancelFunc func()
 // Canceling this context releases resources associated with it, so code should
 // call cancel as soon as the operations running in this Context complete.
 func WithCancel(parent Context) (ctx Context, cancel CancelFunc) {
+	if parent == nil {
+		panic("cannot create context from nil parent")
+	}
 	c := newCancelCtx(parent)
 	propagateCancel(parent, &c)
 	return &c, func() { c.cancel(true, Canceled) }
@@ -425,6 +428,9 @@ func (c *cancelCtx) cancel(removeFromParent bool, err error) {
 // Canceling this context releases resources associated with it, so code should
 // call cancel as soon as the operations running in this Context complete.
 func WithDeadline(parent Context, d time.Time) (Context, CancelFunc) {
+	if parent == nil {
+		panic("cannot create context from nil parent")
+	}
 	if cur, ok := parent.Deadline(); ok && cur.Before(d) {
 		// The current deadline is already sooner than the new one.
 		return WithCancel(parent)
@@ -511,6 +517,9 @@ func WithTimeout(parent Context, timeout time.Duration) (Context, CancelFunc) {
 // struct{}. Alternatively, exported context key variables' static
 // type should be a pointer or interface.
 func WithValue(parent Context, key, val interface{}) Context {
+	if parent == nil {
+		panic("cannot create context from nil parent")
+	}
 	if key == nil {
 		panic("nil key")
 	}
diff --git a/src/context/context_test.go b/src/context/context_test.go
index da29ed0c2b903e..98c6683335370f 100644
--- a/src/context/context_test.go
+++ b/src/context/context_test.go
@@ -667,6 +667,21 @@ func XTestWithValueChecksKey(t testingT) {
 	}
 }
 
+func XTestInvalidDerivedFail(t testingT) {
+	panicVal := recoveredValue(func() { WithCancel(nil) })
+	if panicVal == nil {
+		t.Error("expected panic")
+	}
+	panicVal = recoveredValue(func() { WithDeadline(nil, time.Now().Add(shortDuration)) })
+	if panicVal == nil {
+		t.Error("expected panic")
+	}
+	panicVal = recoveredValue(func() { WithValue(nil, "foo", "bar") })
+	if panicVal == nil {
+		t.Error("expected panic")
+	}
+}
+
 func recoveredValue(fn func()) (v interface{}) {
 	defer func() { v = recover() }()
 	fn()
diff --git a/src/context/x_test.go b/src/context/x_test.go
index e85ef2d50e5fd8..00eca72d5aff0a 100644
--- a/src/context/x_test.go
+++ b/src/context/x_test.go
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ func TestLayersTimeout(t *testing.T)                   { XTestLayersTimeout(t) }
 func TestCancelRemoves(t *testing.T)                   { XTestCancelRemoves(t) }
 func TestWithCancelCanceledParent(t *testing.T)        { XTestWithCancelCanceledParent(t) }
 func TestWithValueChecksKey(t *testing.T)              { XTestWithValueChecksKey(t) }
+func TestInvalidDerivedFail(t *testing.T)              { XTestInvalidDerivedFail(t) }
 func TestDeadlineExceededSupportsTimeout(t *testing.T) { XTestDeadlineExceededSupportsTimeout(t) }
 func TestCustomContextGoroutines(t *testing.T)         { XTestCustomContextGoroutines(t) }