diff --git a/src/bin/cargo/commands/add.rs b/src/bin/cargo/commands/add.rs
index 90c4f4dd5df..52fc38b7433 100644
--- a/src/bin/cargo/commands/add.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cargo/commands/add.rs
@@ -242,7 +242,20 @@ fn parse_dependencies(config: &Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> CargoResult<Vec<
         .flatten()
         .map(|c| (Some(c.clone()), None))
         .collect::<IndexMap<_, _>>();
+
     let mut infer_crate_name = false;
+
+    for (crate_name, _) in crates.iter() {
+        let crate_name = crate_name.as_ref().unwrap();
+
+        if let Some(toolchain) = crate_name.strip_prefix("+") {
+            anyhow::bail!(
+                "invalid character `+` in dependency name: `+{toolchain}`
+    Use `cargo +{toolchain} add` if you meant to use the `{toolchain}` toolchain."
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     if crates.is_empty() {
         if path.is_some() || git.is_some() {
             crates.insert(None, None);
diff --git a/src/bin/cargo/commands/install.rs b/src/bin/cargo/commands/install.rs
index 8197a16900f..3bb90c2d533 100644
--- a/src/bin/cargo/commands/install.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cargo/commands/install.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::command_prelude::*;
 
+use anyhow::anyhow;
 use cargo::core::{GitReference, SourceId, Workspace};
 use cargo::ops;
 use cargo::util::IntoUrl;
@@ -108,6 +109,16 @@ pub fn exec(config: &mut Config, args: &ArgMatches) -> CliResult {
         .map(|k| resolve_crate(k, version))
         .collect::<crate::CargoResult<Vec<_>>>()?;
 
+    for (crate_name, _) in krates.iter() {
+        if let Some(toolchain) = crate_name.strip_prefix("+") {
+            return Err(anyhow!(
+                "invalid character `+` in package name: `+{toolchain}`
+    Use `cargo +{toolchain} install` if you meant to use the `{toolchain}` toolchain."
+            )
+            .into());
+        }
+    }
+
     let mut from_cwd = false;
 
     let source = if let Some(url) = args.get_one::<String>("git") {
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/in b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/in
new file mode 120000
index 00000000000..6c6a27fcfb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../add-basic.in
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/mod.rs b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..905b8c8a2de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+use cargo_test_support::compare::assert_ui;
+use cargo_test_support::prelude::*;
+use cargo_test_support::Project;
+
+use cargo_test_support::curr_dir;
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn case() {
+    let project = Project::from_template(curr_dir!().join("in"));
+    let project_root = project.root();
+    let cwd = &project_root;
+
+    snapbox::cmd::Command::cargo_ui()
+        .arg("add")
+        .arg_line("+nightly")
+        .current_dir(cwd)
+        .assert()
+        .failure()
+        .stdout_matches_path(curr_dir!().join("stdout.log"))
+        .stderr_matches_path(curr_dir!().join("stderr.log"));
+
+    assert_ui().subset_matches(curr_dir!().join("out"), &project_root);
+}
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/out/Cargo.toml b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/out/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3ecdb668167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/out/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[workspace]
+
+[package]
+name = "cargo-list-test-fixture"
+version = "0.0.0"
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/stderr.log b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/stderr.log
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0593685adaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/stderr.log
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+error: invalid character `+` in dependency name: `+nightly`
+    Use `cargo +nightly add` if you meant to use the `nightly` toolchain.
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/stdout.log b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/add_toolchain/stdout.log
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/mod.rs b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/mod.rs
index 4a03220dde0..be7a1546be0 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_add/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 mod add_basic;
 mod add_multiple;
 mod add_normalized_name_external;
+mod add_toolchain;
 mod build;
 mod build_prefer_existing_version;
 mod change_rename_target;
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/install.rs b/tests/testsuite/install.rs
index 9b881dfdc68..2609d804819 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/install.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/install.rs
@@ -57,6 +57,20 @@ fn simple() {
     assert_has_not_installed_exe(cargo_home(), "foo");
 }
 
+#[cargo_test]
+fn toolchain() {
+    pkg("foo", "0.0.1");
+
+    cargo_process("install +nightly")
+        .with_status(101)
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+[ERROR] invalid character `+` in package name: `+nightly`
+    Use `cargo +nightly install` if you meant to use the `nightly` toolchain.",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
 #[cargo_test]
 fn simple_with_message_format() {
     pkg("foo", "0.0.1");