diff --git a/src/nvim/viml/parser/expressions.c b/src/nvim/viml/parser/expressions.c
index da22cf4cdb..b413d56592 100644
--- a/src/nvim/viml/parser/expressions.c
+++ b/src/nvim/viml/parser/expressions.c
@@ -2445,6 +2445,7 @@ viml_pexpr_parse_bracket_closing_error:
               cur_node->children = *top_node_p;
             }
             *top_node_p = cur_node;
+            new_top_node_p = top_node_p;
             goto viml_pexpr_parse_figure_brace_closing_error;
           }
           if (want_node == kENodeValue) {
diff --git a/test/unit/viml/expressions/parser_spec.lua b/test/unit/viml/expressions/parser_spec.lua
index b81a3c0f82..f3d0790e68 100644
--- a/test/unit/viml/expressions/parser_spec.lua
+++ b/test/unit/viml/expressions/parser_spec.lua
@@ -7120,7 +7120,25 @@ describe('Expressions parser', function()
       hl('InvalidDoubleQuotedString', '"'),
       hl('InvalidDoubleQuotedEscape', '\\1'),
     })
-    check_parsing('}l')
+    check_parsing('}l', 0, {
+      --           01
+      ast = {
+        {
+          'OpMissing:0:1:',
+          children = {
+            'UnknownFigure(---):0:0:',
+            'PlainIdentifier(scope=0,ident=l):0:1:l',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      err = {
+        arg = '}l',
+        msg = 'E15: Unexpected closing figure brace: %.*s',
+      },
+    }, {
+      hl('InvalidFigureBrace', '}'),
+      hl('InvalidIdentifier', 'l'),
+    })
     check_parsing(':?\000\000\000\000\000\000\000', 0, {
       ast = {
         {