diff --git a/gopls/go.mod b/gopls/go.mod
index 9d967f0aecb..ef5c85f960d 100644
--- a/gopls/go.mod
+++ b/gopls/go.mod
@@ -26,3 +26,5 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/exp/typeparams v0.0.0-20231108232855-2478ac86f678 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20190902080502-41f04d3bba15 // indirect
 )
+
+replace golang.org/x/tools => ../
diff --git a/gopls/go.sum b/gopls/go.sum
index 53be76a8ce3..3321a78e6f0 100644
--- a/gopls/go.sum
+++ b/gopls/go.sum
@@ -14,22 +14,38 @@ github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 h1:5Nx0Ya0ZqY2ygV366QzturHI13Jq95ApcVaJBhpS+AY=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.12.0 h1:exVL4IDcn6na9z1rAb56Vxr+CgyK3nn3O+epU5NdKM8=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.12.0/go.mod h1:E+RYuTGaKKdloAfM02xzb0FW3Paa99yedzYV+kq4uf4=
+github.com/yuin/goldmark v1.4.13/go.mod h1:6yULJ656Px+3vBD8DxQVa3kxgyrAnzto9xy5taEt/CY=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.19.0/go.mod h1:Iy9bg/ha4yyC70EfRS8jz+B6ybOBKMaSxLj6P6oBDfU=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.29.0/go.mod h1:+F4F4N5hv6v38hfeYwTdx20oUvLLc+QfrE9Ax9HtgRg=
 golang.org/x/exp/typeparams v0.0.0-20231108232855-2478ac86f678 h1:1P7xPZEwZMoBoz0Yze5Nx2/4pxj6nw9ZqHWXqP0iRgQ=
 golang.org/x/exp/typeparams v0.0.0-20231108232855-2478ac86f678/go.mod h1:AbB0pIl9nAr9wVwH+Z2ZpaocVmF5I4GyWCDIsVjR0bk=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.8.0/go.mod h1:iBbtSCu2XBx23ZKBPSOrRkjjQPZFPuis4dIYUhu/chs=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.17.0/go.mod h1:hTbmBsO62+eylJbnUtE2MGJUyE7QWk4xUqPFrRgJ+7c=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.22.0 h1:D4nJWe9zXqHOmWqj4VMOJhvzj7bEZg4wEYa759z1pH4=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.22.0/go.mod h1:6SkKJ3Xj0I0BrPOZoBy3bdMptDDU9oJrpohJ3eWZ1fY=
+golang.org/x/net v0.10.0/go.mod h1:0qNGK6F8kojg2nk9dLZ2mShWaEBan6FAoqfSigmmuDg=
+golang.org/x/net v0.21.0/go.mod h1:bIjVDfnllIU7BJ2DNgfnXvpSvtn8VRwhlsaeUTyUS44=
+golang.org/x/net v0.31.0/go.mod h1:P4fl1q7dY2hnZFxEk4pPSkDHF+QqjitcnDjUQyMM+pM=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.7.0/go.mod h1:Czt+wKu1gCyEFDUtn0jG5QVvpJ6rzVqr5aXyt9drQfk=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.9.0 h1:fEo0HyrW1GIgZdpbhCRO0PkJajUS5H9IFUztCgEo2jQ=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.9.0/go.mod h1:Czt+wKu1gCyEFDUtn0jG5QVvpJ6rzVqr5aXyt9drQfk=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.5.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.8.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.17.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.20.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.27.0 h1:wBqf8DvsY9Y/2P8gAfPDEYNuS30J4lPHJxXSb/nJZ+s=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.27.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
+golang.org/x/telemetry v0.0.0-20240521205824-bda55230c457/go.mod h1:pRgIJT+bRLFKnoM1ldnzKoxTIn14Yxz928LQRYYgIN0=
 golang.org/x/telemetry v0.0.0-20241106142447-58a1122356f5 h1:TCDqnvbBsFapViksHcHySl/sW4+rTGNIAoJJesHRuMM=
 golang.org/x/telemetry v0.0.0-20241106142447-58a1122356f5/go.mod h1:8nZWdGp9pq73ZI//QJyckMQab3yq7hoWi7SI0UIusVI=
+golang.org/x/term v0.8.0/go.mod h1:xPskH00ivmX89bAKVGSKKtLOWNx2+17Eiy94tnKShWo=
+golang.org/x/term v0.17.0/go.mod h1:lLRBjIVuehSbZlaOtGMbcMncT+aqLLLmKrsjNrUguwk=
+golang.org/x/term v0.26.0/go.mod h1:Si5m1o57C5nBNQo5z1iq+XDijt21BDBDp2bK0QI8e3E=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
+golang.org/x/text v0.9.0/go.mod h1:e1OnstbJyHTd6l/uOt8jFFHp6TRDWZR/bV3emEE/zU8=
+golang.org/x/text v0.14.0/go.mod h1:18ZOQIKpY8NJVqYksKHtTdi31H5itFRjB5/qKTNYzSU=
 golang.org/x/text v0.20.0 h1:gK/Kv2otX8gz+wn7Rmb3vT96ZwuoxnQlY+HlJVj7Qug=
 golang.org/x/text v0.20.0/go.mod h1:D4IsuqiFMhST5bX19pQ9ikHC2GsaKyk/oF+pn3ducp4=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.27.1-0.20241204210344-1eb875fe7736 h1:FbrmQg54JnK6XU/imxsp4zJQgBNXbUEu4pAjQHxfEQQ=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.27.1-0.20241204210344-1eb875fe7736/go.mod h1:sUi0ZgbwW9ZPAq26Ekut+weQPR5eIM6GQLQ1Yjm1H0Q=
 golang.org/x/vuln v1.0.4 h1:SP0mPeg2PmGCu03V+61EcQiOjmpri2XijexKdzv8Z1I=
 golang.org/x/vuln v1.0.4/go.mod h1:NbJdUQhX8jY++FtuhrXs2Eyx0yePo9pF7nPlIjo9aaQ=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
diff --git a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/postfix_snippets.go b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/postfix_snippets.go
index e0fc12cc9b5..e5b64954d86 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/postfix_snippets.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/postfix_snippets.go
@@ -442,7 +442,8 @@ func (a *postfixTmplArgs) TypeName(t types.Type) (string, error) {
 
 // Zero return the zero value representation of type t
 func (a *postfixTmplArgs) Zero(t types.Type) string {
-	return typesinternal.ZeroString(t, a.qf)
+	// TODO: use typesinternal.ZeroString, once it supports invalid types.
+	return formatZeroValue(t, a.qf)
 }
 
 func (a *postfixTmplArgs) IsIdent() bool {
diff --git a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/statements.go b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/statements.go
index e187bf2bee0..ce80cfb08ce 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/statements.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/statements.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/tools/gopls/internal/golang"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/gopls/internal/golang/completion/snippet"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/gopls/internal/protocol"
-	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/typesinternal"
 )
 
 // addStatementCandidates adds full statement completion candidates
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ func (c *completer) addErrCheck() {
 	} else {
 		snip.WriteText("return ")
 		for i := 0; i < result.Len()-1; i++ {
-			snip.WriteText(typesinternal.ZeroString(result.At(i).Type(), c.qf))
+			snip.WriteText(formatZeroValue(result.At(i).Type(), c.qf))
 			snip.WriteText(", ")
 		}
 		snip.WritePlaceholder(func(b *snippet.Builder) {
@@ -405,7 +404,7 @@ func (c *completer) addReturnZeroValues() {
 			fmt.Fprintf(&label, ", ")
 		}
 
-		zero := typesinternal.ZeroString(result.At(i).Type(), c.qf)
+		zero := formatZeroValue(result.At(i).Type(), c.qf)
 		snip.WritePlaceholder(func(b *snippet.Builder) {
 			b.WriteText(zero)
 		})
diff --git a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/util.go b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/util.go
index 766484e2fc8..26d9050ec02 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/golang/completion/util.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/golang/completion/util.go
@@ -277,6 +277,31 @@ func prevStmt(pos token.Pos, path []ast.Node) ast.Stmt {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// formatZeroValue produces Go code representing the zero value of T. It
+// returns the empty string if T is invalid.
+//
+// TODO(rfindley): use typesinternal.ZeroString once we can sort out how to
+// propagate invalid types (see golang/go#70744).
+func formatZeroValue(T types.Type, qf types.Qualifier) string {
+	switch u := T.Underlying().(type) {
+	case *types.Basic:
+		switch {
+		case u.Info()&types.IsNumeric > 0:
+			return "0"
+		case u.Info()&types.IsString > 0:
+			return `""`
+		case u.Info()&types.IsBoolean > 0:
+			return "false"
+		default:
+			return ""
+		}
+	case *types.Pointer, *types.Interface, *types.Chan, *types.Map, *types.Slice, *types.Signature:
+		return "nil"
+	default:
+		return types.TypeString(T, qf) + "{}"
+	}
+}
+
 // isBasicKind returns whether t is a basic type of kind k.
 func isBasicKind(t types.Type, k types.BasicInfo) bool {
 	b, _ := t.Underlying().(*types.Basic)
diff --git a/gopls/internal/test/marker/testdata/completion/statements.txt b/gopls/internal/test/marker/testdata/completion/statements.txt
index 9856d938ea3..f189e8ec27f 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/test/marker/testdata/completion/statements.txt
+++ b/gopls/internal/test/marker/testdata/completion/statements.txt
@@ -98,6 +98,20 @@ func two() error {
 	//@snippet("", stmtTwoIfErrReturn, "if s.err != nil {\n\treturn ${1:s.err}\n\\}")
 }
 
+-- if_err_check_return3.go --
+package statements
+
+import "os"
+
+// Check that completion logic handles an invalid return type.
+func badReturn() (NotAType, error) {
+	_, err := os.Open("foo")
+	//@snippet("", stmtOneIfErrReturn, "if err != nil {\n\treturn , ${1:err}\n\\}")
+
+	_, err = os.Open("foo")
+	if er //@snippet(" //", stmtOneErrReturn, "err != nil {\n\treturn , ${1:err}\n\\}")
+}
+
 -- if_err_check_test.go --
 package statements
 
@@ -132,3 +146,10 @@ func foo() (int, string, error) {
 func bar() (int, string, error) {
 	return //@snippet(" ", stmtReturnZeroValues, "return ${1:0}, ${2:\"\"}, ${3:nil}")
 }
+
+
+//@item(stmtReturnInvalidValues, `return `)
+
+func invalidReturnStatement() NotAType {
+	return //@snippet(" ", stmtReturnInvalidValues, "return ${1:}")
+}
diff --git a/internal/typesinternal/zerovalue.go b/internal/typesinternal/zerovalue.go
index 1066980649e..581876c4603 100644
--- a/internal/typesinternal/zerovalue.go
+++ b/internal/typesinternal/zerovalue.go
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ func ZeroString(t types.Type, qf types.Qualifier) string {
 // ZeroExpr is defined for types that are suitable for variables.
 // It may panic for other types such as Tuple or Union.
 // See [ZeroString] for a variant that returns a string.
+//
+// TODO(rfindley): improve the behavior of this function in the presence of
+// invalid types. It should probably not return nil for
+// types.Typ[types.Invalid], but must to preserve previous behavior.
+// (golang/go#70744)
 func ZeroExpr(f *ast.File, pkg *types.Package, typ types.Type) ast.Expr {
 	switch t := typ.(type) {
 	case *types.Basic:
@@ -94,6 +99,8 @@ func ZeroExpr(f *ast.File, pkg *types.Package, typ types.Type) ast.Expr {
 			fallthrough
 		case t.Kind() == types.UntypedNil:
 			return ast.NewIdent("nil")
+		case t == types.Typ[types.Invalid]:
+			return nil
 		default:
 			panic(fmt.Sprint("ZeroExpr for unexpected type:", t))
 		}