diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 8f57bfca..8ed7163a 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ function parse($TEXT, options) {
                 def = new AST_VarDef({
                     start: S.token,
                     name: destructuring_(sym_type),
-                    value: (expect_token("operator", "="), expression(false, no_in)),
+                    value: is("operator", "=") ? (expect_token("operator", "="), expression(false, no_in)) : null,
                     end: prev()
                 });
             } else {
diff --git a/test/compress/destructuring.js b/test/compress/destructuring.js
index b667c9ea..30fbbee8 100644
--- a/test/compress/destructuring.js
+++ b/test/compress/destructuring.js
@@ -23,3 +23,12 @@ nested_destructuring_objects: {
     }
     expect_exact: 'var[{a},b]=c;';
 }
+
+destructuring_vardef_in_loops: {
+    input: {
+        for (var [x,y] in pairs);
+        for (var [a] = 0;;);
+        for (var {c} of cees);
+    }
+    expect_exact: "for(var[x,y]in pairs);for(var[a]=0;;);for(var{c}of cees);"
+}