diff --git a/src/reflect/all_test.go b/src/reflect/all_test.go
index b6010f92654e777b5d25250df400d126ab23a7f9..7443666fa68dbeb114cf959016b5f27ad49ccb2c 100644
--- a/src/reflect/all_test.go
+++ b/src/reflect/all_test.go
@@ -3634,6 +3634,13 @@ type MyRunes []int32
 type MyFunc func()
 type MyByte byte
 
+type IntChan chan int
+type IntChanRecv <-chan int
+type IntChanSend chan<- int
+type BytesChan chan []byte
+type BytesChanRecv <-chan []byte
+type BytesChanSend chan<- []byte
+
 var convertTests = []struct {
 	in  Value
 	out Value
@@ -3995,10 +4002,6 @@ var convertTests = []struct {
 	{V((***byte)(nil)), V((***byte)(nil))},
 	{V((***int32)(nil)), V((***int32)(nil))},
 	{V((***int64)(nil)), V((***int64)(nil))},
-	{V((chan int)(nil)), V((<-chan int)(nil))},
-	{V((chan int)(nil)), V((chan<- int)(nil))},
-	{V((chan string)(nil)), V((<-chan string)(nil))},
-	{V((chan string)(nil)), V((chan<- string)(nil))},
 	{V((chan byte)(nil)), V((chan byte)(nil))},
 	{V((chan MyByte)(nil)), V((chan MyByte)(nil))},
 	{V((map[int]bool)(nil)), V((map[int]bool)(nil))},
@@ -4010,6 +4013,40 @@ var convertTests = []struct {
 	{V(new(io.Reader)), V(new(io.Reader))},
 	{V(new(io.Writer)), V(new(io.Writer))},
 
+	// channels
+	{V(IntChan(nil)), V((chan<- int)(nil))},
+	{V(IntChan(nil)), V((<-chan int)(nil))},
+	{V((chan int)(nil)), V(IntChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V((chan int)(nil)), V(IntChanSend(nil))},
+	{V(IntChanRecv(nil)), V((<-chan int)(nil))},
+	{V((<-chan int)(nil)), V(IntChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V(IntChanSend(nil)), V((chan<- int)(nil))},
+	{V((chan<- int)(nil)), V(IntChanSend(nil))},
+	{V(IntChan(nil)), V((chan int)(nil))},
+	{V((chan int)(nil)), V(IntChan(nil))},
+	{V((chan int)(nil)), V((<-chan int)(nil))},
+	{V((chan int)(nil)), V((chan<- int)(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChan(nil)), V((chan<- []byte)(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChan(nil)), V((<-chan []byte)(nil))},
+	{V((chan []byte)(nil)), V(BytesChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V((chan []byte)(nil)), V(BytesChanSend(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChanRecv(nil)), V((<-chan []byte)(nil))},
+	{V((<-chan []byte)(nil)), V(BytesChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChanSend(nil)), V((chan<- []byte)(nil))},
+	{V((chan<- []byte)(nil)), V(BytesChanSend(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChan(nil)), V((chan []byte)(nil))},
+	{V((chan []byte)(nil)), V(BytesChan(nil))},
+	{V((chan []byte)(nil)), V((<-chan []byte)(nil))},
+	{V((chan []byte)(nil)), V((chan<- []byte)(nil))},
+
+	// cannot convert other instances (channels)
+	{V(IntChan(nil)), V(IntChan(nil))},
+	{V(IntChanRecv(nil)), V(IntChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V(IntChanSend(nil)), V(IntChanSend(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChan(nil)), V(BytesChan(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChanRecv(nil)), V(BytesChanRecv(nil))},
+	{V(BytesChanSend(nil)), V(BytesChanSend(nil))},
+
 	// interfaces
 	{V(int(1)), EmptyInterfaceV(int(1))},
 	{V(string("hello")), EmptyInterfaceV(string("hello"))},
diff --git a/src/reflect/type.go b/src/reflect/type.go
index 06ca09576d36fe35a68a4d2e17c4c36c3c7b5249..9040862ad23edc58366954ce9c1906edaaf3f5ed 100644
--- a/src/reflect/type.go
+++ b/src/reflect/type.go
@@ -1542,6 +1542,18 @@ func implements(T, V *rtype) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// specialChannelAssignability reports whether a value x of channel type V
+// can be directly assigned (using memmove) to another channel type T.
+// https://golang.org/doc/go_spec.html#Assignability
+// T and V must be both of Chan kind.
+func specialChannelAssignability(T, V *rtype) bool {
+	// Special case:
+	// x is a bidirectional channel value, T is a channel type,
+	// x's type V and T have identical element types,
+	// and at least one of V or T is not a defined type.
+	return V.ChanDir() == BothDir && (T.Name() == "" || V.Name() == "") && haveIdenticalType(T.Elem(), V.Elem(), true)
+}
+
 // directlyAssignable reports whether a value x of type V can be directly
 // assigned (using memmove) to a value of type T.
 // https://golang.org/doc/go_spec.html#Assignability
@@ -1559,7 +1571,11 @@ func directlyAssignable(T, V *rtype) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	// x's type T and V must  have identical underlying types.
+	if T.Kind() == Chan && specialChannelAssignability(T, V) {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// x's type T and V must have identical underlying types.
 	return haveIdenticalUnderlyingType(T, V, true)
 }
 
@@ -1597,14 +1613,6 @@ func haveIdenticalUnderlyingType(T, V *rtype, cmpTags bool) bool {
 		return T.Len() == V.Len() && haveIdenticalType(T.Elem(), V.Elem(), cmpTags)
 
 	case Chan:
-		// Special case:
-		// x is a bidirectional channel value, T is a channel type,
-		// and x's type V and T have identical element types.
-		if V.ChanDir() == BothDir && haveIdenticalType(T.Elem(), V.Elem(), cmpTags) {
-			return true
-		}
-
-		// Otherwise continue test for identical underlying type.
 		return V.ChanDir() == T.ChanDir() && haveIdenticalType(T.Elem(), V.Elem(), cmpTags)
 
 	case Func:
diff --git a/src/reflect/value.go b/src/reflect/value.go
index ab3b9643ee657a6ad1623fca1adefaca4b00e395..2b7dd66a8c1a90a23ccd931a63a29d06219173f1 100644
--- a/src/reflect/value.go
+++ b/src/reflect/value.go
@@ -2476,6 +2476,11 @@ func convertOp(dst, src *rtype) func(Value, Type) Value {
 				return cvtRunesString
 			}
 		}
+
+	case Chan:
+		if dst.Kind() == Chan && specialChannelAssignability(dst, src) {
+			return cvtDirect
+		}
 	}
 
 	// dst and src have same underlying type.