diff --git a/src/DiagnosticMessages.ts b/src/DiagnosticMessages.ts
index 12357a6a3..9b96bdb9c 100644
--- a/src/DiagnosticMessages.ts
+++ b/src/DiagnosticMessages.ts
@@ -770,6 +770,11 @@ export let DiagnosticMessages = {
         message: `'${featureName}' requires Roku firmware version ${minimumVersion} or higher (current target is ${configuredVersion})`,
         code: 1146,
         severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error
+    }),
+    reservedBuiltinUsedAsValue: (name: string) => ({
+        message: `'${name}' is a reserved builtin and can only be used as a function call (e.g. '${name}(...)')`,
+        code: 1147,
+        severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error
     })
 };
 
diff --git a/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.spec.ts b/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.spec.ts
index ceadd3adb..f6b23bb9c 100644
--- a/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.spec.ts
+++ b/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.spec.ts
@@ -608,4 +608,258 @@ describe('BrsFileValidator', () => {
             });
         });
     });
+
+    describe('unreferencable builtins', () => {
+        const reservedBuiltinCode = DiagnosticMessages.reservedBuiltinUsedAsValue('').code;
+
+        function reservedBuiltinDiagnostics() {
+            return program.getDiagnostics().filter(diagnostic => diagnostic.code === reservedBuiltinCode);
+        }
+
+        function expectFlagged(names: string[]) {
+            expect(
+                reservedBuiltinDiagnostics().map(diagnostic => diagnostic.message)
+            ).to.eql(
+                names.map(name => DiagnosticMessages.reservedBuiltinUsedAsValue(name).message)
+            );
+        }
+
+        function expectNotFlagged() {
+            expect(reservedBuiltinDiagnostics()).to.eql([]);
+        }
+
+        it('flags `x = ObjFun` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    x = ObjFun
+                    print x
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['ObjFun']);
+        });
+
+        it('flags `print type(ObjFun)` (passed as argument)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    print type(ObjFun)
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['ObjFun']);
+        });
+
+        it('flags `f(ObjFun, 2)` (passed by value)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    f(ObjFun, 2)
+                end sub
+                sub f(arg1, arg2)
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['ObjFun']);
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = type` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    x = type
+                    print x
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['type']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `ObjFun(m)` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    ObjFun(m, "")
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `type(123)` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    print type(123)
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `m.ObjFun = 1` (property assignment)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    m.ObjFun = 1
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `m.type = 1` (property assignment)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    m.type = 1
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `{ ObjFun: 1 }` (AA literal key)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    aa = { ObjFun: 1 }
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `{ type: 1 }` (AA literal key)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    aa = { type: 1 }
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag a BrighterScript `type Name = ...` statement', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.bs', `
+                type MyAlias = string or integer
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('case-insensitive match for OBJFUN, ObjFun, objfun', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `
+                sub a()
+                    x = OBJFUN
+                    y = objfun
+                end sub
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['OBJFUN', 'objfun']);
+        });
+
+        //per-builtin coverage for each device-verified entry in UnreferencableBuiltins.
+        //each pair: (1) bare value read flags, (2) canonical call form does not flag.
+
+        it('flags `x = Box` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Box\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['Box']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `Box(1)` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Box(1)\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = CreateObject` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = CreateObject\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['CreateObject']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `CreateObject("roSGNode", "Node")` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = CreateObject("roSGNode", "Node")\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = GetGlobalAA` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetGlobalAA\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['GetGlobalAA']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `GetGlobalAA()` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetGlobalAA()\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = GetLastRunCompileError` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetLastRunCompileError\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['GetLastRunCompileError']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `GetLastRunCompileError()` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetLastRunCompileError()\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = GetLastRunRunTimeError` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetLastRunRunTimeError\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['GetLastRunRunTimeError']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `GetLastRunRunTimeError()` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = GetLastRunRunTimeError()\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = Pos` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Pos\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['Pos']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `Pos(0)` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Pos(0)\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = Run` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Run\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['Run']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `Run("pkg:/source/foo.brs")` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Run("pkg:/source/foo.brs")\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = Tab` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Tab\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['Tab']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `Tab(5)` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = Tab(5)\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+
+        it('flags `x = eval` (RHS value read)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\nx = eval\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectFlagged(['eval']);
+        });
+
+        it('does not flag `eval("print 1")` (canonical call)', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/main.brs', `sub a()\neval("print 1")\nend sub`);
+            program.validate();
+            expectNotFlagged();
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.ts b/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.ts
index 9d99ae8fc..430b41025 100644
--- a/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.ts
+++ b/src/bscPlugin/validation/BrsFileValidator.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-import { isAliasStatement, isBody, isClassStatement, isCommentStatement, isConstStatement, isDottedGetExpression, isDottedSetStatement, isEnumStatement, isForEachStatement, isForStatement, isFunctionExpression, isFunctionStatement, isImportStatement, isIndexedGetExpression, isIndexedSetStatement, isInterfaceStatement, isLibraryStatement, isLiteralExpression, isNamespaceStatement, isTypecastStatement, isTypeStatement, isUnaryExpression, isWhileStatement } from '../../astUtils/reflection';
+import { isAliasStatement, isBody, isCallExpression, isClassStatement, isCommentStatement, isConstStatement, isDottedGetExpression, isDottedSetStatement, isEnumStatement, isForEachStatement, isForStatement, isFunctionExpression, isFunctionStatement, isImportStatement, isIndexedGetExpression, isIndexedSetStatement, isInterfaceStatement, isLibraryStatement, isLiteralExpression, isNamespaceStatement, isTypecastStatement, isTypeStatement, isUnaryExpression, isWhileStatement } from '../../astUtils/reflection';
 import { createVisitor, WalkMode } from '../../astUtils/visitors';
 import { DiagnosticMessages } from '../../DiagnosticMessages';
 import type { BrsFile } from '../../files/BrsFile';
 import type { OnFileValidateEvent } from '../../interfaces';
-import { TokenKind } from '../../lexer/TokenKind';
+import { TokenKind, UnreferencableBuiltins } from '../../lexer/TokenKind';
 import type { AstNode, Expression, Statement } from '../../parser/AstNode';
 import { CallExpression, type FunctionExpression, type LiteralExpression } from '../../parser/Expression';
 import { ParseMode } from '../../parser/Parser';
@@ -197,6 +197,23 @@ export class BrsFileValidator {
             },
             ContinueStatement: (node) => {
                 this.validateContinueStatement(node);
+            },
+            VariableExpression: (node) => {
+                //flag reserved unreferencable builtins (e.g. `ObjFun`, `type`) used in non-call position.
+                //these compile cleanly as values today but are device compile errors
+                //(`Syntax Error. Builtin function call expected`).
+                const name = node.name?.text;
+                if (
+                    name &&
+                    UnreferencableBuiltins.has(name.toLowerCase()) &&
+                    //only valid use is as the callee of a CallExpression
+                    !(isCallExpression(node.parent) && node.parent.callee === node)
+                ) {
+                    this.event.file.addDiagnostic({
+                        ...DiagnosticMessages.reservedBuiltinUsedAsValue(name),
+                        range: node.name.range
+                    });
+                }
             }
         });
 
diff --git a/src/lexer/TokenKind.ts b/src/lexer/TokenKind.ts
index 21b40a481..10eb915ca 100644
--- a/src/lexer/TokenKind.ts
+++ b/src/lexer/TokenKind.ts
@@ -577,6 +577,27 @@ export const DisallowedLocalIdentifiersText = new Set([
     ...DisallowedLocalIdentifiers.map(x => x.toLowerCase())
 ]);
 
+/**
+ * Reserved BrightScript builtins that cannot be referenced — they compile only when invoked as a function call.
+ * Any non-call reference (e.g. `x = type`, `print foo(ObjFun)`) is a device compile error
+ * (most produce `Syntax Error. Builtin function call expected`, hex code &h9d;
+ * `createobject` and `tab` produce a generic `Syntax Error` &h02 with the same outcome).
+ * Names are lowercased for case-insensitive matching.
+ */
+export const UnreferencableBuiltins = new Set([
+    'box',
+    'createobject',
+    'eval',
+    'getglobalaa',
+    'getlastruncompileerror',
+    'getlastrunruntimeerror',
+    'objfun',
+    'pos',
+    'run',
+    'tab',
+    'type'
+]);
+
 /**
  * List of string versions of TokenKind and various globals that are NOT allowed as scope function names.
  * Used to throw more helpful "you can't use a reserved word as a function name" errors.
diff --git a/src/parser/Parser.spec.ts b/src/parser/Parser.spec.ts
index 52e6b40cb..9710cc223 100644
--- a/src/parser/Parser.spec.ts
+++ b/src/parser/Parser.spec.ts
@@ -928,6 +928,63 @@ describe('parser', () => {
                 expect(diagnostics, `assigning to reserved word "${reservedWord}" should have been an error`).to.be.length.greaterThan(0);
             }
         });
+
+        describe('unreferencable builtins as parameter names', () => {
+            it('flags `function f(Box)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(Box)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('Box')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(CreateObject)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(CreateObject)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('CreateObject')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(GetGlobalAA)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(GetGlobalAA)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('GetGlobalAA')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(GetLastRunCompileError)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(GetLastRunCompileError)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('GetLastRunCompileError')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(GetLastRunRunTimeError)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(GetLastRunRunTimeError)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('GetLastRunRunTimeError')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(ObjFun)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(ObjFun)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('ObjFun')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(Pos)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(Pos)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('Pos')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(Run)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(Run)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('Run')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(Tab)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(Tab)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('Tab')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(type)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(type)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('type')]);
+            });
+
+            it('flags `function f(eval)` (parameter name)', () => {
+                let { diagnostics } = parse(`function f(eval)\nend function`);
+                expectDiagnostics(diagnostics, [DiagnosticMessages.cannotUseReservedWordAsIdentifier('eval')]);
+            });
+        });
     });
 
     describe('import keyword', () => {