diff --git a/src/Perl6/Optimizer.nqp b/src/Perl6/Optimizer.nqp
index 8b11bc6143d..d4b8dc213a0 100644
--- a/src/Perl6/Optimizer.nqp
+++ b/src/Perl6/Optimizer.nqp
@@ -2531,11 +2531,14 @@ class Perl6::Optimizer {
         %opts<protoguilt> := $protoguilt // nqp::p6bool(0);
         %opts<arguments> := @arg_names;
         %opts<objname> := $obj.name;
+        %opts<dispatcher> := $obj;
         %opts<signature> := nqp::can($obj, 'is_dispatcher') && $obj.is_dispatcher && !$protoguilt ??
                 multi_sig_list($obj) !!
                 [try $obj.signature.gist];
-
-        $!problems.add_exception(['X', 'TypeCheck', 'Argument'], $op, |%opts);
+        nqp::if( nqp::can($obj, 'is_dispatcher') && $obj.is_dispatcher && nqp::elems($obj.dispatchees) == 0,
+          $!problems.add_exception(['X', 'Multi', 'NoMatch'], $op, |%opts),
+          $!problems.add_exception(['X', 'TypeCheck', 'Argument'], $op, |%opts)
+        );
     }
 
     # Signature list for multis.
diff --git a/t/05-messages/01-errors.t b/t/05-messages/01-errors.t
index c5084539abe..59c2b953f01 100644
--- a/t/05-messages/01-errors.t
+++ b/t/05-messages/01-errors.t
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use lib <t/packages/>;
 use Test;
 use Test::Helpers;
 
-plan 48;
+plan 49;
 
 # RT #129763
 throws-like '1++', X::Multi::NoMatch,
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ throws-like { class { proto method x(|) {*} }.new.x }, X::Multi::NoMatch,
     :message{ .contains: 'only the proto' & none 'none of these signatures' },
     'error points out only only proto is defined';
 
+# GH #1746
+throws-like { EVAL 'proto x(|) {*}; x' }, X::Multi::NoMatch,
+    :message{ .contains: 'only the proto' & none 'none of these signatures' },
+    'error points out only only proto routine is defined';
+
 # RT #131367
 throws-like { Blob.split }, X::Multi::NoMatch,
     :message{ .contains: 'only the proto' & none 'none of these signatures' },