diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
index 8cfa105ac3a..f356906e50d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
@@ -537,8 +537,10 @@ l0:
 
 	case '\'':
 		/* '.' */
-		if(escchar('\'', &escflag, &v))
-			v = '\'';	// allow '''
+		if(escchar('\'', &escflag, &v)) {
+			yyerror("empty character literal or unescaped ' in character literal");
+			v = '\'';
+		}
 		if(!escchar('\'', &escflag, &v)) {
 			yyerror("missing '");
 			ungetc(v);
diff --git a/test/bugs/bug169.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug169.go
similarity index 100%
rename from test/bugs/bug169.go
rename to test/fixedbugs/bug169.go
diff --git a/test/golden.out b/test/golden.out
index 90f21172cf1..6d70cb9e0d4 100644
--- a/test/golden.out
+++ b/test/golden.out
@@ -147,9 +147,6 @@ BUG: errchk: command succeeded unexpectedly
 123
 BUG: should fail
 
-=========== bugs/bug169.go
-BUG: errchk: command succeeded unexpectedly
-
 =========== bugs/bug193.go
 BUG: errchk: bugs/bug193.go:14: missing expected error: 'shift'