diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
index 781fe1b2d5b86..304f446df1d45 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
@@ -966,6 +966,9 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 		p := s.expr(n.Left)
 		s.nilCheck(p)
 
+	case OSQRT:
+		s.expr(n.Left)
+
 	default:
 		s.Unimplementedf("unhandled stmt %s", n.Op)
 	}
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue16804.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue16804.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..46dd4a33ccbf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue16804.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// compile
+
+// Copyright 2016 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Issue 16804: internal error for math.Sqrt as statement
+//              rather than expression
+
+package main
+
+import "math"
+
+func sqrt() {
+	math.Sqrt(2.0)
+}