diff --git a/spec/compiler/semantic/automatic_cast_spec.cr b/spec/compiler/semantic/automatic_cast_spec.cr
index c39b0e4bff8b..a4f27ead8b44 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/semantic/automatic_cast_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/compiler/semantic/automatic_cast_spec.cr
@@ -616,4 +616,18 @@ describe "Semantic: automatic cast" do
       Bar.new
       ))
   end
+
+  it "errors when autocast default value doesn't match enum member" do
+    assert_error <<-CR,
+      enum Foo
+        FOO
+      end
+
+      def foo(foo : Foo = :bar)
+      end
+
+      foo
+      CR
+      "can't autocast :bar to Foo: no matching enum member"
+  end
 end
diff --git a/src/compiler/crystal/semantic/main_visitor.cr b/src/compiler/crystal/semantic/main_visitor.cr
index e9dbd442d15f..9e54b460333d 100644
--- a/src/compiler/crystal/semantic/main_visitor.cr
+++ b/src/compiler/crystal/semantic/main_visitor.cr
@@ -773,6 +773,10 @@ module Crystal
           if casted_value = check_automatic_cast(value, restriction_type, node)
             value = casted_value
           else
+            if value.is_a?(SymbolLiteral) && restriction_type.is_a?(EnumType)
+              node.raise "can't autocast #{value} to #{restriction_type}: no matching enum member"
+            end
+
             node.raise "can't restrict #{value.type} to #{restriction}"
           end
         end