diff --git a/packages/@glimmer/compiler/lib/template-compiler.ts b/packages/@glimmer/compiler/lib/template-compiler.ts
index 5c86a787f4..77c908f8b7 100644
--- a/packages/@glimmer/compiler/lib/template-compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/@glimmer/compiler/lib/template-compiler.ts
@@ -134,11 +134,11 @@ export default class TemplateCompiler implements Processor<InputOps> {
           typeAttr = attrs[i];
           continue;
         }
-        this.attribute([attrs[i]], !simple || actionIsComponent);
+        this.attribute([attrs[i]], !simple || actionIsComponent, action);
       }
 
       if (typeAttr) {
-        this.attribute([typeAttr], !simple || actionIsComponent);
+        this.attribute([typeAttr], !simple || actionIsComponent, action);
       }
 
       for (let i = 0; i < action.modifiers.length; i++) {
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ export default class TemplateCompiler implements Processor<InputOps> {
     }
   }
 
-  attribute([action]: [AST.AttrNode], isComponent: boolean) {
+  attribute([action]: [AST.AttrNode], isComponent: boolean, elementNode: AST.ElementNode) {
+    assertValidArgumentName(action, isComponent, elementNode);
     let { name, value } = action;
 
     let namespace = getAttrNamespace(name);
@@ -690,6 +691,19 @@ function assertIsSimplePath(path: AST.Expression, loc: AST.SourceLocation, conte
   }
 }
 
+function assertValidArgumentName(
+  attribute: AST.AttrNode,
+  isComponent: boolean,
+  elementNode: AST.ElementNode
+) {
+  if (!isComponent && attribute.name[0] === '@') {
+    throw new SyntaxError(
+      `${attribute.name} is not a valid attribute name. @arguments are only allowed on components, but the tag for this element (\`${elementNode.tag}\`) is a regular, non-component HTML element.`,
+      attribute.loc
+    );
+  }
+}
+
 function assertValidYield(statement: AST.MustacheStatement): string {
   let { pairs } = statement.hash;
 
diff --git a/packages/@glimmer/compiler/test/compiler-test.ts b/packages/@glimmer/compiler/test/compiler-test.ts
index bfd11a534b..d7fadc6e04 100644
--- a/packages/@glimmer/compiler/test/compiler-test.ts
+++ b/packages/@glimmer/compiler/test/compiler-test.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,19 @@ function test(desc: string, template: string, ...expectedStatements: BuilderStat
 const Append = Builder.Append;
 const Concat = Builder.Concat;
 
+QUnit.test(
+  '@arguments are on regular non-component/regular HTML nodes throws syntax error',
+  function(assert) {
+    const template = strip`
+    <a @onClick={{action "hi"}}>Link</a>
+  `;
+    assert.throws(
+      () => compile(template),
+      /@onClick is not a valid attribute name. @arguments are only allowed on components, but the tag for this element \(`a`\) is a regular, non-component HTML element/
+    );
+  }
+);
+
 test('HTML text content', 'content', s`content`);
 
 test('Text curlies', '<div>{{title}}<span>{{title}}</span></div>', [