diff --git a/src/julia-parser.scm b/src/julia-parser.scm
index de71be87a1230..85d789f17c9d3 100644
--- a/src/julia-parser.scm
+++ b/src/julia-parser.scm
@@ -668,8 +668,8 @@
 			ex)
 		 (let ((argument
 			(cond ((closing-token? (peek-token s))
-			       (syntax-deprecation-warning s "x[i:]" "x[i:end]")
-			       ':)  ; missing last argument
+			       (error  (string "missing last argument in \"" 
+					       (deparse ex) ":\" range expression ")))
 			      ((newline? (peek-token s))
 			       (error "line break in \":\" expression"))
 			      (else