diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_client/michelson_v1_parser.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_client/michelson_v1_parser.ml
index 799058ff8..69be0c3fa 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_client/michelson_v1_parser.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_client/michelson_v1_parser.ml
@@ -61,11 +61,9 @@ let expand_all source ast errors =
 let parse_toplevel ?check source =
   let tokens, lexing_errors = Micheline_parser.tokenize source in
   let asts, parsing_errors = Micheline_parser.parse_toplevel ?check tokens in
-  let ast = match asts with
-    | [ ast ] -> ast
-    | asts ->
-        let start = min_point asts and stop = max_point asts in
-        Seq ({ start ; stop }, asts, None) in
+  let ast =
+    let start = min_point asts and stop = max_point asts in
+    Seq ({ start ; stop }, asts, None) in
   expand_all source ast (lexing_errors @ parsing_errors)
 
 let parse_expression ?check source =
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_client_commands/client_proto_programs_commands.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_client_commands/client_proto_programs_commands.ml
index eccf0e502..25c1ae9d1 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_client_commands/client_proto_programs_commands.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_client_commands/client_proto_programs_commands.ml
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ let commands () =
                     ~details:(not no_print_source) ~parsed
                     ~show_source:(not no_print_source)
                     ppf errors) () >>= fun () ->
-             return ()
+             cctxt#error "syntax error in program"
       ) ;
 
     command ~group ~desc: "Ask the node to typecheck a data expression."
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/script_ir_translator.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/script_ir_translator.ml
index d7a307124..f7e595e04 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/script_ir_translator.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/script_ir_translator.ml
@@ -2240,6 +2240,7 @@ and parse_contract
 and parse_toplevel
   : Script.expr -> (Script.node * Script.node * Script.node) tzresult
   = fun toplevel ->
+    record_trace (Ill_typed_contract (toplevel, [])) @@
     match root toplevel with
     | Int (loc, _) -> error (Invalid_kind (loc, [ Seq_kind ], Int_kind))
     | String (loc, _) -> error (Invalid_kind (loc, [ Seq_kind ], String_kind))