diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index 969915f4706d..39bdc69111d3 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -3198,7 +3198,7 @@ object Parsers {
         else {
           val start = in.lastOffset
           syntaxErrorOrIncomplete(IllegalStartOfSimplePattern(), expectedOffset)
-          errorTermTree(start)
+          atSpan(Span(start, in.offset)) { Ident(nme.WILDCARD) }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/neg/i5004.scala b/tests/neg/i5004.scala
index 02105104efd1..ba1abe77f5bf 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i5004.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i5004.scala
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ object i0 {
 1 match {
 def this(): Int  // error
   def this()
-} // error
+}
 }
diff --git a/tests/neg/parser-stability-1.scala b/tests/neg/parser-stability-1.scala
index 661ab87e31e5..560b9cf116e3 100644
--- a/tests/neg/parser-stability-1.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/parser-stability-1.scala
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 object x0 {
 x1 match  // error
 def this // error
-// error
\ No newline at end of file