diff --git a/src/parser/Parser.ts b/src/parser/Parser.ts
index 385a21959..bef4ee9b4 100644
--- a/src/parser/Parser.ts
+++ b/src/parser/Parser.ts
@@ -1948,13 +1948,6 @@ export class Parser {
             }
         }
 
-        //template string
-        if (this.check(TokenKind.BackTick)) {
-            return this.templateString(false);
-            //tagged template string (currently we do not support spaces between the identifier and the backtick
-        } else if (this.checkAny(TokenKind.Identifier, ...AllowedLocalIdentifiers) && this.checkNext(TokenKind.BackTick)) {
-            return this.templateString(true);
-        }
         let expr = this.boolean();
 
         if (this.check(TokenKind.Question)) {
@@ -2234,6 +2227,12 @@ export class Parser {
             //capture source literals (LINE_NUM if brightscript, or a bunch of them if brighterscript)
             case this.matchAny(TokenKind.LineNumLiteral, ...(this.options.mode === ParseMode.BrightScript ? [] : BrighterScriptSourceLiterals)):
                 return new SourceLiteralExpression(this.previous());
+            //template string
+            case this.check(TokenKind.BackTick):
+                return this.templateString(false);
+            //tagged template string (currently we do not support spaces between the identifier and the backtick)
+            case this.checkAny(TokenKind.Identifier, ...AllowedLocalIdentifiers) && this.checkNext(TokenKind.BackTick):
+                return this.templateString(true);
             case this.matchAny(TokenKind.Identifier, ...this.allowedLocalIdentifiers):
                 return new VariableExpression(this.previous() as Identifier, this.currentNamespaceName);
             case this.match(TokenKind.LeftParen):
diff --git a/src/parser/tests/expression/TemplateStringExpression.spec.ts b/src/parser/tests/expression/TemplateStringExpression.spec.ts
index f406cd103..7b2970e8a 100644
--- a/src/parser/tests/expression/TemplateStringExpression.spec.ts
+++ b/src/parser/tests/expression/TemplateStringExpression.spec.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { Lexer } from '../../../lexer';
 import { Parser, ParseMode } from '../../Parser';
 import { AssignmentStatement } from '../../Statement';
 import { Program } from '../../../Program';
-import { getTestTranspile } from '../../../testHelpers.spec';
+import { expectZeroDiagnostics, getTestTranspile } from '../../../testHelpers.spec';
 
 describe('TemplateStringExpression', () => {
     describe('parser template String', () => {
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe('TemplateStringExpression', () => {
 
                 let { tokens } = Lexer.scan('a = ["one", "two", `I am a complex example\n${a.isRunning(["a","b","c"])}`]');
                 let { statements, diagnostics } = Parser.parse(tokens, { mode: ParseMode.BrighterScript });
-                expect(diagnostics).to.be.lengthOf(0);
+                expectZeroDiagnostics(diagnostics);
                 expect(statements[0]).instanceof(AssignmentStatement);
             });
         });
@@ -240,6 +240,20 @@ describe('TemplateStringExpression', () => {
                     end sub
                 `);
             });
+
+            it('can be concatenated with regular string', () => {
+                testTranspile(`
+                    sub main()
+                        thing = "this" + \`that\`
+                        otherThing = \`that\` + "this"
+                    end sub
+                `, `
+                    sub main()
+                        thing = "this" + "that"
+                        otherThing = "that" + "this"
+                    end sub
+                `, undefined, 'source/main.bs');
+            });
         });
     });
 });