diff --git a/frontends/verilog/verilog_parser.y b/frontends/verilog/verilog_parser.y
index 678ce6c87..6c4b06d7f 100644
--- a/frontends/verilog/verilog_parser.y
+++ b/frontends/verilog/verilog_parser.y
@@ -884,7 +884,11 @@ task_func_args:
 
 task_func_port:
 	attr wire_type range {
+		bool prev_was_input = true;
+		bool prev_was_output = false;
 		if (albuf) {
+			prev_was_input = astbuf1->is_input;
+			prev_was_output = astbuf1->is_output;
 			delete astbuf1;
 			if (astbuf2 != NULL)
 				delete astbuf2;
@@ -893,6 +897,12 @@ task_func_port:
 		albuf = $1;
 		astbuf1 = $2;
 		astbuf2 = checkRange(astbuf1, $3);
+		if (!astbuf1->is_input && !astbuf1->is_output) {
+			if (!sv_mode)
+				frontend_verilog_yyerror("task/function argument direction missing");
+			astbuf1->is_input = prev_was_input;
+			astbuf1->is_output = prev_was_output;
+		}
 	} wire_name |
 	{
 		if (!astbuf1) {
diff --git a/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.sv b/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.sv
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0424f1b46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.sv
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+module gate(w, x, y, z);
+	function automatic integer bar(
+		integer a
+	);
+		bar = 2 ** a;
+	endfunction
+	output integer w = bar(4);
+
+	function automatic integer foo(
+		input integer a, /* implicitly input */ integer b,
+		output integer c, /* implicitly output */ integer d
+	);
+		c = 42;
+		d = 51;
+		foo = a + b + 1;
+	endfunction
+	output integer x, y, z;
+	initial x = foo(1, 2, y, z);
+endmodule
+
+module gold(w, x, y, z);
+	output integer w = 16, x = 4, y = 42, z = 51;
+endmodule
diff --git a/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.ys b/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.ys
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5c22a05b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/various/func_port_implied_dir.ys
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+read_verilog -sv func_port_implied_dir.sv
+hierarchy
+proc
+equiv_make gold gate equiv
+equiv_simple
+equiv_status -assert