diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 26610a7c..1ff0f09d 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+2011-01-09  Joel E. Denny  <joeldenny@joeldenny.org>
+
+	Improve error messages for `$' or `@' followed by `.' or `-'.
+	Previously, for this special case of an invalid reference, the
+	usual "symbol not found in production:" was printed.  However,
+	because the symbol name was parsed as the empty string, that
+	message was followed immediately by a newline instead of a symbol
+	name.  In reality, this is a syntax error, so the reference is
+	invalid regardless of the symbols actually appearing in the
+	production.  Discussed at
+	<http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bison-patches/2011-01/msg00012.html>.
+	* src/scan-code.l (parse_ref): Report the above case as a syntax
+	error.  Other than that, continue to handle this case like any
+	other invalid reference that Bison manages to parse because
+	"possibly meant" messages can still be helpful to the user.
+	* tests/named-refs.at ($ or @ followed by . or -): New test group.
+
 2011-01-08  Joel E. Denny  <joeldenny@joeldenny.org>
 
 	doc: don't use @acronym.
diff --git a/src/scan-code.l b/src/scan-code.l
index e3e6b653..0158e7c0 100644
--- a/src/scan-code.l
+++ b/src/scan-code.l
@@ -620,7 +620,17 @@ parse_ref (char *cp, symbol_list *rule, int rule_length,
         complain_at_indent (text_loc, &indent, _("invalid reference: %s"),
                             quote (text));
         indent += SUB_INDENT;
-        if (midrule_rhs_index)
+        if (len == 0)
+          {
+            location sym_loc = text_loc;
+            sym_loc.start.column += 1;
+            sym_loc.end = sym_loc.start;
+            const char *format =
+              _("syntax error after `%c', expecting integer, letter,"
+                " `_', `[', or `$'");
+            complain_at_indent (sym_loc, &indent, format, dollar_or_at);
+          }
+        else if (midrule_rhs_index)
           {
             const char *format =
               _("symbol not found in production before $%d: %.*s");
diff --git a/tests/named-refs.at b/tests/named-refs.at
index 25af97de..f818e094 100644
--- a/tests/named-refs.at
+++ b/tests/named-refs.at
@@ -561,3 +561,32 @@ test.y:57.8-17: invalid reference: `$<aa>[sym]'
 test.y:54.1-57.21:  symbol not found in production: sym
 ]])
 AT_CLEANUP
+
+#######################################################################
+
+AT_SETUP([[$ or @ followed by . or -]])
+AT_DATA([[test.y]],
+[[
+%%
+start:
+  .field { $.field; }
+| -field { @-field; }
+| 'a'    { @.field; }
+| 'a'    { $-field; }
+;
+.field: ;
+-field: ;
+]])
+AT_BISON_CHECK([[test.y]], [[1]], [],
+[[test.y:4.12-18: invalid reference: `$.field'
+test.y:4.13:        syntax error after `$', expecting integer, letter, `_', `@<:@', or `$'
+test.y:4.3-8:       possibly meant: $[.field] at $1
+test.y:5.12-18: invalid reference: `@-field'
+test.y:5.13:        syntax error after `@', expecting integer, letter, `_', `@<:@', or `$'
+test.y:5.3-8:       possibly meant: @[-field] at $1
+test.y:6.12-18: invalid reference: `@.field'
+test.y:6.13:        syntax error after `@', expecting integer, letter, `_', `@<:@', or `$'
+test.y:7.12-18: invalid reference: `$-field'
+test.y:7.13:        syntax error after `$', expecting integer, letter, `_', `@<:@', or `$'
+]])
+AT_CLEANUP