diff --git a/lib/ast.js b/lib/ast.js
index b8732a78..12138520 100644
--- a/lib/ast.js
+++ b/lib/ast.js
@@ -1537,6 +1537,12 @@ var AST_Assign = DEFNODE("Assign", null, {
                     throw new Error("left must be assignable: " + node.TYPE);
                 }
             });
+        } else if (!(this.left instanceof AST_Infinity
+            || this.left instanceof AST_NaN
+            || this.left instanceof AST_PropAccess && !this.left.optional
+            || this.left instanceof AST_SymbolRef
+            || this.left instanceof AST_Undefined)) {
+            throw new Error("left must be assignable");
         }
     },
 }, AST_Binary);
diff --git a/lib/compress.js b/lib/compress.js
index ef84a75c..cf8c7eb5 100644
--- a/lib/compress.js
+++ b/lib/compress.js
@@ -7795,6 +7795,7 @@ Compressor.prototype.compress = function(node) {
                 var defs = defs_by_id[node.definition().id];
                 if (!defs) return;
                 if (node.fixed_value() !== defs.value) return;
+                if (is_lhs(node, this.parent())) return;
                 return make_node(AST_Object, node, { properties: [] });
             }
         }));
diff --git a/test/compress/default-values.js b/test/compress/default-values.js
index 260a35d4..5fc69817 100644
--- a/test/compress/default-values.js
+++ b/test/compress/default-values.js
@@ -1957,3 +1957,37 @@ issue_5192: {
     expect_stdout: "PASS"
     node_version: ">=6"
 }
+
+issue_5222: {
+    options = {
+        hoist_props: true,
+        inline: true,
+        reduce_vars: true,
+        side_effects: true,
+        toplevel: true,
+        unused: true,
+    }
+    input: {
+        function f() {
+            do {
+                (function() {
+                    var a = {
+                        p: [ a ] = [],
+                    };
+                })();
+            } while (console.log("PASS"));
+        }
+        f();
+    }
+    expect: {
+        (function() {
+            do {
+                a = void 0,
+                [ a ] = [];
+            } while (console.log("PASS"));
+            var a;
+        })();
+    }
+    expect_stdout: "PASS"
+    node_version: ">=6"
+}