diff --git a/src/go/parser/parser.go b/src/go/parser/parser.go
index 3965641713a..f10c8650afd 100644
--- a/src/go/parser/parser.go
+++ b/src/go/parser/parser.go
@@ -1302,7 +1302,12 @@ func (p *parser) parseIndexOrSliceOrInstance(x ast.Expr) ast.Expr {
 		p.errorExpected(p.pos, "operand")
 		rbrack := p.pos
 		p.next()
-		return &ast.BadExpr{From: x.Pos(), To: rbrack}
+		return &ast.IndexExpr{
+			X:      x,
+			Lbrack: lbrack,
+			Index:  &ast.BadExpr{From: rbrack, To: rbrack},
+			Rbrack: rbrack,
+		}
 	}
 	p.exprLev++
 
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/examples/functions.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/examples/functions.go2
index fb74ae7ae25..a0534712025 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/examples/functions.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/examples/functions.go2
@@ -210,5 +210,5 @@ func _() {
 func h[] /* ERROR empty type parameter list */ ()
 
 func _() {
-	h[] /* ERROR operand */ ()
+	h /* ERROR cannot index */ [] /* ERROR operand */ ()
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue46403.src b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue46403.src
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9d475222adb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue46403.src
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package issue46403
+
+func _() {
+	// a should be used, despite the parser error below.
+	var a []int
+	var _ = a[] // ERROR expected operand
+}