diff --git a/src/comp/middle/alias.rs b/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
index 6742c00ccfe..e264b887c38 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@ fn arm_defnums(&ast::arm arm) -> vec[node_id] {
             case (ast::pat_tag(_, ?children)) {
                 for (@ast::pat child in children) { walk_pat(found, child); }
             }
+            case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+                for (ast::field_pat f in fields) { walk_pat(found, f.pat); }
+            }
             case (_) { }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs b/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
index 5de67552e7f..2419824cdff 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
@@ -313,6 +313,9 @@ fn resolve_names(&@env e, &@ast::crate c) {
                     }
                 }
             }
+            case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+                for (ast::field_pat f in fields) { walk_pat(e, sc, f.pat); }
+            }
             case (_) { }
         }
     }
@@ -707,6 +710,12 @@ fn lookup_in_pat(&ident name, &ast::pat pat) -> option::t[def] {
                 if (!option::is_none(found)) { ret found; }
             }
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+            for (ast::field_pat f in fields) {
+                auto found = lookup_in_pat(name, *f.pat);
+                if (!option::is_none(found)) { ret found; }
+            }
+        }
     }
     ret none[def];
 }
@@ -1261,6 +1270,9 @@ fn check_arm(@env e, &ast::arm a, &() x, &vt[()] v) {
             case (ast::pat_tag(_, ?children)) {
                 for (@ast::pat child in children) { walk_pat(ch, child); }
             }
+            case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+                for (ast::field_pat f in fields) { walk_pat(ch, f.pat); }
+            }
             case (_) { }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
index 461a42ebc42..050cd59e1d4 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
@@ -4839,6 +4839,23 @@ fn trans_pat_match(&@block_ctxt cx, &@ast::pat pat, ValueRef llval,
             }
             ret rslt(matched_cx, llval);
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?field_pats, _)) {
+            auto bcx = cx;
+            auto ccx = cx.fcx.lcx.ccx;
+            auto rec_ty = pat_ty(ccx.tcx, pat);
+            auto fields = alt (ty::struct(ccx.tcx, rec_ty)) {
+                ty::ty_rec(?fields) { fields }
+            };
+            for (ast::field_pat f in field_pats) {
+                let uint ix = ty::field_idx(ccx.sess, f.pat.span,
+                                            f.ident, fields);
+                auto r = GEP_tup_like(bcx, rec_ty, llval, ~[0, ix as int]);
+                auto v = load_if_immediate(r.bcx, r.val,
+                                           pat_ty(ccx.tcx, f.pat));
+                bcx = trans_pat_match(r.bcx, f.pat, v, next_cx).bcx;
+            }
+            ret rslt(bcx, llval);
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -4896,6 +4913,21 @@ fn trans_pat_binding(&@block_ctxt cx, &@ast::pat pat, ValueRef llval,
             }
             ret rslt(this_cx, llval);
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?field_pats, _)) {
+            auto bcx = cx;
+            auto ccx = cx.fcx.lcx.ccx;
+            auto rec_ty = pat_ty(ccx.tcx, pat);
+            auto fields = alt (ty::struct(ccx.tcx, rec_ty)) {
+                ty::ty_rec(?fields) { fields }
+            };
+            for (ast::field_pat f in field_pats) {
+                let uint ix = ty::field_idx(ccx.sess, f.pat.span,
+                                            f.ident, fields);
+                auto r = GEP_tup_like(bcx, rec_ty, llval, ~[0, ix as int]);
+                bcx = trans_pat_binding(bcx, f.pat, r.val, true, bound).bcx;
+            }
+            ret rslt(bcx, llval);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index 1da0b114dcf..cdd106385a5 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -1278,6 +1278,11 @@ fn replace_expr_type(&@fn_ctxt fcx, &@ast::expr expr,
     write::ty_fixup(fcx, expr.id, tup(new_tps, new_tyt._1));
 }
 
+// FIXME remove once std::ivec::find makes it into a snapshot
+fn ivec_find[T](fn(&T) -> bool  f, &T[] v) -> option::t[T] {
+    for (T elt in v) { if (f(elt)) { ret some[T](elt); } }
+    ret none[T];
+}
 
 // AST fragment checking
 fn check_lit(@crate_ctxt ccx, &@ast::lit lit) -> ty::t {
@@ -1395,16 +1400,52 @@ fn check_pat(&@fn_ctxt fcx, &ast::pat_id_map map, &@ast::pat pat,
               case (_) {
                 // FIXME: Switch expected and actual in this message? I
                 // can never tell.
-
                 fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_fatal(pat.span,
                                             #fmt("mismatched types: \
-                                                  expected tag, found %s",
+                                                  expected %s, found tag",
                                                  ty_to_str(fcx.ccx.tcx,
                                                            expected)));
               }
             }
             write::ty_fixup(fcx, pat.id, path_tpot);
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, ?etc)) {
+            auto ex_fields;
+            alt (structure_of(fcx, pat.span, expected)) {
+                case (ty::ty_rec(?fields)) { ex_fields = fields; }
+                case (_) {
+                    fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_fatal
+                        (pat.span, #fmt("mismatched types: expected %s, \
+                                         found record",
+                                        ty_to_str(fcx.ccx.tcx, expected)));
+                }
+            };
+            auto f_count = ivec::len(fields);
+            auto ex_f_count = ivec::len(ex_fields);
+            if (ex_f_count < f_count || (!etc && ex_f_count > f_count)) {
+                fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_fatal
+                    (pat.span, #fmt("mismatched types: expected a record \
+                                     with %u fields, found one with %u \
+                                     fields", ex_f_count, f_count));
+            }
+            fn matches(&str name, &ty::field f) -> bool {
+                ret str::eq(name, f.ident);
+            }
+            for (ast::field_pat f in fields) {
+                alt (ivec_find(bind matches(f.ident, _), ex_fields)) {
+                    some(?field) {
+                        check_pat(fcx, map, f.pat, field.mt.ty);
+                    }
+                    none {
+                        fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_fatal
+                            (pat.span, #fmt("mismatched types: did not \
+                                             expect a record with a field %s",
+                                            f.ident));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            write::ty_only_fixup(fcx, pat.id, expected);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs b/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
index 37d57dacf3c..6c9c2f2f249 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
@@ -118,11 +118,14 @@ type pat = rec(node_id id,
                pat_ node,
                span span);
 
+type field_pat = rec(ident ident, @pat pat);
+
 tag pat_ {
     pat_wild;
     pat_bind(ident);
     pat_lit(@lit);
     pat_tag(path, (@pat)[]);
+    pat_rec(field_pat[], bool);
 }
 
 type pat_id_map = std::map::hashmap[str, ast::node_id];
@@ -137,6 +140,9 @@ fn pat_id_map(&@pat pat) -> pat_id_map {
             pat_tag(_, ?sub) {
                 for (@pat p in sub) { walk(map, p); }
             }
+            pat_rec(?fields, _) {
+                for (field_pat f in fields) { walk(map, f.pat); }
+            }
             _ {}
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
index 8529542bf44..571473261ff 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
@@ -267,6 +267,13 @@ fn noop_fold_pat(&pat_ p, ast_fold fld) -> pat_ {
         case (pat_tag(?pth, ?pats)) {
             pat_tag(fld.fold_path(pth), ivec::map(fld.fold_pat, pats))
         }
+        case (pat_rec(?fields, ?etc)) {
+            auto fs = ~[];
+            for (ast::field_pat f in fields) {
+                fs += ~[rec(ident=f.ident, pat=fld.fold_pat(f.pat))];
+            }
+            pat_rec(fs, etc)
+        }
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
index 567aa995fd6..29b12763d91 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -1455,6 +1455,45 @@ fn parse_pat(&parser p) -> @ast::pat {
                 }
             }
         }
+        case (token::LBRACE) {
+            p.bump();
+            auto fields = ~[];
+            auto etc = false;
+            auto first = true;
+            while (p.peek() != token::RBRACE) {
+                if (p.peek() == token::DOT) {
+                    p.bump();
+                    expect(p, token::DOT);
+                    expect(p, token::DOT);
+                    if (p.peek() != token::RBRACE) {
+                        p.fatal("expecting }, found " +
+                                token::to_str(p.get_reader(), p.peek()));
+                    }
+                    etc = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+                if (first) { first = false; }
+                else { expect(p, token::COMMA); }
+                auto fieldname = parse_ident(p);
+                auto subpat;
+                if (p.peek() == token::COLON) {
+                    p.bump();
+                    subpat = parse_pat(p);
+                } else {
+                    if (p.get_bad_expr_words().contains_key(fieldname)) {
+                        p.fatal("found " + fieldname +
+                                " in binding position");
+                    }
+                    subpat = @rec(id=p.get_id(),
+                                  node=ast::pat_bind(fieldname),
+                                  span=rec(lo=lo, hi=hi));
+                }
+                fields += ~[rec(ident=fieldname, pat=subpat)];
+            }
+            hi = p.get_hi_pos();
+            p.bump();
+            pat = ast::pat_rec(fields, etc);
+        }
         case (?tok) {
             if (!is_ident(tok) || is_word(p, "true") || is_word(p, "false")) {
                 auto lit = parse_lit(p);
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs b/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
index 2bc4efb1e59..e62b37807f2 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
@@ -1120,6 +1120,22 @@ fn print_pat(&ps s, &@ast::pat pat) {
                 pclose(s);
             }
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, ?etc)) {
+            bopen(s);
+            fn print_field(&ps s, &ast::field_pat f) {
+                cbox(s, indent_unit);
+                word(s.s, f.ident);
+                word(s.s, ":");
+                print_pat(s, f.pat);
+                end(s);
+            }
+            fn get_span(&ast::field_pat f) -> codemap::span {
+                ret f.pat.span;
+            }
+            commasep_cmnt_ivec(s, consistent, fields, print_field, get_span);
+            if (etc) { space(s.s); word(s.s, "..."); }
+            bclose(s, pat.span);
+        }
     }
     s.ann.post(ann_node);
 }
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs b/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
index c6e4d1911d4..470a8e4e38d 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ fn visit_pat[E](&@pat p, &E e, &vt[E] v) {
             for (@ty tp in path.node.types) { v.visit_ty(tp, e, v); }
             for (@pat child in children) { v.visit_pat(child, e, v); }
         }
+        case (pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+            for (field_pat f in fields) { v.visit_pat(f.pat, e, v); }
+        }
         case (_) { }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/walk.rs b/src/comp/syntax/walk.rs
index 77b13f0c9b8..024437e4327 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/walk.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/walk.rs
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ fn walk_pat(&ast_visitor v, &@ast::pat p) {
             for (@ast::ty tp in path.node.types) { walk_ty(v, tp); }
             for (@ast::pat child in children) { walk_pat(v, child); }
         }
+        case (ast::pat_rec(?fields, _)) {
+            for (ast::field_pat f in fields) { walk_pat(v, f.pat); }
+        }
         case (_) { }
     }
     v.visit_pat_post(p);
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat-2.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat-2.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..037658f631b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat-2.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// error-pattern:did not expect a record with a field q
+
+fn main() {
+    alt rec(x=1, y=2) {
+        {x, q} {}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9813267f432
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-record-pat.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// error-pattern:expected a record with 2 fields, found one with 1
+
+fn main() {
+    alt rec(x=1, y=2) {
+        {x} {}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/record-pat.rs b/src/test/run-pass/record-pat.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b03bc6476b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/record-pat.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+tag t1 { a(int); b(uint); }
+type t2 = rec(t1 x, int y);
+tag t3 { c(t2, uint); }
+
+fn m(&t3 in) -> int {
+    alt in {
+        c({x: a(?m) ...}, _) { ret m; }
+        c({x: b(?m), y}, ?z) { ret (m + z) as int + y; }
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    assert m(c(rec(x=a(10), y=5), 4u)) == 10;
+    assert m(c(rec(x=b(10u), y=5), 4u)) == 19;
+}