diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/Enqueuer.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/Enqueuer.java
index 061b9bf..7df9d9c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/Enqueuer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/Enqueuer.java
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@
    * its implementation may be removed and it may be marked abstract.
    */
   private final SetWithReason<DexEncodedMethod> targetedMethods = new SetWithReason<>();
+  /** Set of virtual methods that are the immediate target of an invoke-direct. */
+  private final Set<DexMethod> virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect = Sets.newIdentityHashSet();
   /**
    * Set of methods that belong to live classes and can be reached by invokes. These need to be
    * kept.
@@ -601,6 +603,13 @@
     DexEncodedMethod target = appInfo.dispatchDirectInvoke(resolutionResult);
     if (target != null) {
       markDirectStaticOrConstructorMethodAsLive(target, reason);
+
+      // It is valid to have an invoke-direct instruction in a default interface method that
+      // targets another default method in the same interface (see testInvokeSpecialToDefault-
+      // Method). In a class, that would lead to a verification error.
+      if (target.isVirtualMethod()) {
+        virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect.add(target.method);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -1479,6 +1488,8 @@
      * removed.
      */
     final SortedSet<DexMethod> targetedMethods;
+    /** Set of virtual methods that are the immediate target of an invoke-direct. */
+    final SortedSet<DexMethod> virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect;
     /**
      * Set of methods that belong to live classes and can be reached by invokes. These need to be
      * kept.
@@ -1596,6 +1607,9 @@
           ImmutableSortedSet.copyOf(
               PresortedComparable<DexType>::slowCompareTo, enqueuer.instantiatedLambdas.getItems());
       this.targetedMethods = toSortedDescriptorSet(enqueuer.targetedMethods.getItems());
+      this.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect =
+          ImmutableSortedSet.copyOf(
+              DexMethod::slowCompareTo, enqueuer.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect);
       this.liveMethods = toSortedDescriptorSet(enqueuer.liveMethods.getItems());
       this.liveFields = toSortedDescriptorSet(enqueuer.liveFields.getItems());
       this.instanceFieldReads = enqueuer.collectInstanceFieldsRead();
@@ -1636,6 +1650,7 @@
       this.instantiatedTypes = previous.instantiatedTypes;
       this.instantiatedLambdas = previous.instantiatedLambdas;
       this.targetedMethods = previous.targetedMethods;
+      this.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect = previous.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect;
       this.liveMethods = previous.liveMethods;
       this.liveFields = previous.liveFields;
       this.instanceFieldReads = previous.instanceFieldReads;
@@ -1675,6 +1690,8 @@
       this.instantiatedTypes = rewriteItems(previous.instantiatedTypes, lense::lookupType);
       this.instantiatedLambdas = rewriteItems(previous.instantiatedLambdas, lense::lookupType);
       this.targetedMethods = rewriteMethodsConservatively(previous.targetedMethods, lense);
+      this.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect =
+          rewriteMethodsConservatively(previous.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect, lense);
       this.liveMethods = rewriteMethodsConservatively(previous.liveMethods, lense);
       this.liveFields = rewriteItems(previous.liveFields, lense::lookupField);
       this.instanceFieldReads =
@@ -1726,6 +1743,7 @@
       this.instantiatedTypes = previous.instantiatedTypes;
       this.instantiatedLambdas = previous.instantiatedLambdas;
       this.targetedMethods = previous.targetedMethods;
+      this.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect = previous.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect;
       this.liveMethods = previous.liveMethods;
       this.liveFields = previous.liveFields;
       this.instanceFieldReads = previous.instanceFieldReads;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/VerticalClassMerger.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/VerticalClassMerger.java
index 0840d91..38473f3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/VerticalClassMerger.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/shaking/VerticalClassMerger.java
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@
     RESOLUTION_FOR_FIELDS_MAY_CHANGE,
     RESOLUTION_FOR_METHODS_MAY_CHANGE,
     STATIC_INITIALIZERS,
+    UNHANDLED_INVOKE_DIRECT,
+    UNHANDLED_INVOKE_SUPER,
     UNSAFE_INLINING,
     UNSUPPORTED_ATTRIBUTES;
 
@@ -121,6 +123,12 @@
         case STATIC_INITIALIZERS:
           message = "merging of static initializers are not supported";
           break;
+        case UNHANDLED_INVOKE_DIRECT:
+          message = "a virtual method is targeted by an invoke-direct instruction";
+          break;
+        case UNHANDLED_INVOKE_SUPER:
+          message = "it may change the semantics of an invoke-super instruction";
+          break;
         case UNSAFE_INLINING:
           message = "force-inlining might fail";
           break;
@@ -217,10 +225,15 @@
     //     }
     //   }
     for (DexMethod signature : appInfo.brokenSuperInvokes) {
-      DexClass targetClass = appInfo.definitionFor(signature.holder);
-      if (targetClass != null && targetClass.isProgramClass()) {
-        pinnedTypes.add(signature.holder);
-      }
+      markTypeAsPinned(signature.holder, AbortReason.UNHANDLED_INVOKE_SUPER);
+    }
+
+    // It is valid to have an invoke-direct instruction in a default interface method that targets
+    // another default method in the same interface (see InterfaceMethodDesugaringTests.testInvoke-
+    // SpecialToDefaultMethod). However, in a class, that would lead to a verification error.
+    // Therefore, we disallow merging such interfaces into their subtypes.
+    for (DexMethod signature : appInfo.virtualMethodsTargetedByInvokeDirect) {
+      markTypeAsPinned(signature.holder, AbortReason.UNHANDLED_INVOKE_DIRECT);
     }
   }