diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
index 09fed98985..8608a6229c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ func (l *lexer) number(c rune) {
 	}
 
 done:
-	litbuf = "literal " + str
+	litbuf = "" // lazily initialized in (*parser).syntax_error
 	l.nlsemi = true
 	l.tok = LLITERAL
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
index 97a18497ff..55f352590b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/parser.go
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ func (p *parser) syntax_error(msg string) {
 			tok = "name"
 		}
 	case LLITERAL:
+		if litbuf == "" {
+			litbuf = "literal " + lexbuf.String()
+		}
 		tok = litbuf
 	case LOPER:
 		tok = goopnames[p.op]