diff --git a/src/Node/CatchClause.php b/src/Node/CatchClause.php
index ac71b64f..2784d116 100644
--- a/src/Node/CatchClause.php
+++ b/src/Node/CatchClause.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class CatchClause extends Node {
      * TODO: In the next backwards incompatible release, replace qualifiedName with qualifiedNameList?
      */
     public $otherQualifiedNameList;
-    /** @var Token */
+    /** @var Token|null */
     public $variableName;
     /** @var Token */
     public $closeParen;
diff --git a/src/Parser.php b/src/Parser.php
index 722c447e..075c8f02 100644
--- a/src/Parser.php
+++ b/src/Parser.php
@@ -2249,7 +2249,7 @@ private function parseCatchClause($parentNode) {
         $qualifiedNameList = $this->parseQualifiedNameCatchList($catchClause)->children ?? [];
         $catchClause->qualifiedName = $qualifiedNameList[0] ?? null; // TODO generate missing token or error if null
         $catchClause->otherQualifiedNameList = array_slice($qualifiedNameList, 1);  // TODO: Generate error if the name list has missing tokens
-        $catchClause->variableName = $this->eat1(TokenKind::VariableName);
+        $catchClause->variableName = $this->eatOptional1(TokenKind::VariableName);
         $catchClause->closeParen = $this->eat1(TokenKind::CloseParenToken);
         $catchClause->compoundStatement = $this->parseCompoundStatement($catchClause);
 
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.diag b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.diag
index 4d7b4b56..0637a088 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.diag
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.diag
@@ -1,8 +1 @@
-[
-    {
-        "kind": 0,
-        "message": "'VariableName' expected.",
-        "start": 22,
-        "length": 0
-    }
-]
\ No newline at end of file
+[]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.tree b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.tree
index 420bd99f..bf879ad6 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.tree
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement10.php.tree
@@ -43,11 +43,7 @@
                                 },
                                 "qualifiedName": null,
                                 "otherQualifiedNameList": [],
-                                "variableName": {
-                                    "error": "MissingToken",
-                                    "kind": "VariableName",
-                                    "textLength": 0
-                                },
+                                "variableName": null,
                                 "closeParen": {
                                     "kind": "CloseParenToken",
                                     "textLength": 1
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.diag b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.diag
index af385f5b..be775903 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.diag
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.diag
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
 [
-    {
-        "kind": 0,
-        "message": "'VariableName' expected.",
-        "start": 169,
-        "length": 0
-    },
     {
         "kind": 0,
         "message": "')' expected.",
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.tree b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.tree
index 4ffc4bc9..42e811bf 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.tree
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement13.php.tree
@@ -43,11 +43,7 @@
                                 },
                                 "qualifiedName": null,
                                 "otherQualifiedNameList": [],
-                                "variableName": {
-                                    "error": "MissingToken",
-                                    "kind": "VariableName",
-                                    "textLength": 0
-                                },
+                                "variableName": null,
                                 "closeParen": {
                                     "error": "MissingToken",
                                     "kind": "CloseParenToken",
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.diag b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.diag
index 513e7607..6d37d1e0 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.diag
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.diag
@@ -5,12 +5,6 @@
         "start": 21,
         "length": 0
     },
-    {
-        "kind": 0,
-        "message": "'VariableName' expected.",
-        "start": 21,
-        "length": 0
-    },
     {
         "kind": 0,
         "message": "')' expected.",
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.tree b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.tree
index faf2c8c1..76d019e9 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.tree
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement8.php.tree
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@
                                 },
                                 "qualifiedName": null,
                                 "otherQualifiedNameList": [],
-                                "variableName": {
-                                    "error": "MissingToken",
-                                    "kind": "VariableName",
-                                    "textLength": 0
-                                },
+                                "variableName": null,
                                 "closeParen": {
                                     "error": "MissingToken",
                                     "kind": "CloseParenToken",
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.diag b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.diag
index 59cd30be..0637a088 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.diag
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.diag
@@ -1,8 +1 @@
-[
-    {
-        "kind": 0,
-        "message": "'VariableName' expected.",
-        "start": 27,
-        "length": 0
-    }
-]
\ No newline at end of file
+[]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.tree b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.tree
index 4891bc60..b209092c 100644
--- a/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.tree
+++ b/tests/cases/parser/tryStatement9.php.tree
@@ -54,11 +54,7 @@
                                     }
                                 },
                                 "otherQualifiedNameList": [],
-                                "variableName": {
-                                    "error": "MissingToken",
-                                    "kind": "VariableName",
-                                    "textLength": 0
-                                },
+                                "variableName": null,
                                 "closeParen": {
                                     "kind": "CloseParenToken",
                                     "textLength": 1