diff -r f01dd4f7d639 cmd/vet/shadow.go
--- a/cmd/vet/shadow.go	Tue Feb 04 11:06:00 2014 -0800
+++ b/cmd/vet/shadow.go	Wed Feb 05 03:37:35 2014 +0100
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
 			f.Badf(expr.Pos(), "invalid AST: short variable declaration of non-identifier")
 			return
 		}
-		f.checkShadowing(ident)
+		f.checkShadowing(ident, nil)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -182,13 +182,13 @@
 			return
 		}
 		for _, ident := range valueSpec.Names {
-			f.checkShadowing(ident)
+			f.checkShadowing(ident, valueSpec)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
 // checkShadowing checks whether the identifier shadows an identifier in an outer scope.
-func (f *File) checkShadowing(ident *ast.Ident) {
+func (f *File) checkShadowing(ident *ast.Ident, decl *ast.ValueSpec) {
 	obj := f.pkg.idents[ident]
 	if obj == nil {
 		return
@@ -220,8 +220,12 @@
 			return
 		}
 	}
-	// Don't complain if the types differ: that implies the programmer really wants two variables.
-	if types.Identical(obj.Type(), shadowed.Type()) {
-		f.Badf(ident.Pos(), "declaration of %s shadows declaration at %s", obj.Name(), f.loc(shadowed.Pos()))
+	// Don't complain if the types differ and the programmer explicitly asked
+	// for a variable of different type: that implies that two variables were
+	// actually wanted.
+	if !types.Identical(obj.Type(), shadowed.Type()) && decl != nil && decl.Type != nil {
+		return
 	}
+
+	f.Badf(ident.Pos(), "declaration of %s shadows declaration at %s", obj.Name(), f.loc(shadowed.Pos()))
 }