diff --git a/server/internal/lang/parser.go b/server/internal/lang/parser.go
index 98561c0..0e02300 100644
--- a/server/internal/lang/parser.go
+++ b/server/internal/lang/parser.go
@@ -148,17 +148,26 @@ type CaseNode struct {
 	Statement  AlwaysStatement
 }
 type Parser struct {
-	skipTokens []string
+	skipTokens            []string
+	FarthestErrorPosition int
+	FarthestError         *error
 }
 
 func NewParser() *Parser {
 	return &Parser{
-		skipTokens: []string{"whitespace", "comment", "newline"},
+		skipTokens:            []string{"whitespace", "comment", "newline"},
+		FarthestErrorPosition: -1,
+		FarthestError:         nil,
 	}
 }
 
-func newErrorFrom(from string, expected []string, pos int, tokens []Token) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("parsing %s, expected %v, got: %v at position %d", from, expected, tokens[pos], pos)
+func (p *Parser) newErrorFrom(from string, expected []string, pos int, tokens []Token) error {
+	err := fmt.Errorf("parsing %s, expected %v, got: %v at position %d", from, expected, tokens[pos], pos)
+	if pos > p.FarthestErrorPosition {
+		p.FarthestErrorPosition = pos
+		p.FarthestError = &err
+	}
+	return err
 }
 func (p *Parser) skip(tokens []Token, skippables []string, pos int) int {
 	i := pos
@@ -183,7 +192,7 @@ func (p *Parser) checkToken(from string, expected []string, pos int, tokens []To
 	pos = p.skip(tokens, p.skipTokens, pos)
 
 	if pos >= len(tokens) {
-		return -1, newErrorFrom(from, expected, len(tokens), append(tokens, Token{Type: "EOF"}))
+		return -1, p.newErrorFrom(from, expected, len(tokens), append(tokens, Token{Type: "EOF"}))
 	}
 
 	for _, tp := range expected {
@@ -191,7 +200,7 @@ func (p *Parser) checkToken(from string, expected []string, pos int, tokens []To
 			return pos, nil
 		}
 	}
-	return -1, newErrorFrom(from, expected, pos, tokens)
+	return -1, p.newErrorFrom(from, expected, pos, tokens)
 }
 
 func (p *Parser) isEOF(tokens []Token, pos int) bool {
@@ -1775,7 +1784,7 @@ func (p *Parser) ParseFile(tokens []Token) (result FileNode, err error) {
 			// try module
 			module, newPos, e := p.parseModule(tokens, pos)
 			if e != nil {
-				err = e
+				err = *p.FarthestError
 				return
 			}
 			result.Statements = append(result.Statements, TopLevelStatement{
diff --git a/server/internal/vlsp/symbols.go b/server/internal/vlsp/symbols.go
index ba8c000..4b66514 100644
--- a/server/internal/vlsp/symbols.go
+++ b/server/internal/vlsp/symbols.go
@@ -43,12 +43,31 @@ func (h Handler) GetSymbolsForFile(fname string, firstTime bool) {
 		h.state.defines[fname] = []lang.DefineNode{}
 		h.state.modules[fname] = []lang.ModuleNode{}
 
-		// publish no diagnostics since stuff failed
-		obj := protocol.PublishDiagnosticsParams{
-			URI:         protocol.DocumentURI(PathToURI(fname)),
-			Diagnostics: []protocol.Diagnostic{},
+		// publish the error as a diagnostic
+		if parser.FarthestErrorPosition >= 0 && parser.FarthestErrorPosition < len(tokens) {
+			tok := tokens[parser.FarthestErrorPosition]
+			diag := protocol.Diagnostic{
+				Range: protocol.Range{
+					Start: protocol.Position{Line: uint32(tok.Line()), Character: uint32(tok.StartCharacter())},
+					End:   protocol.Position{Line: uint32(tok.Line()), Character: uint32(tok.EndCharacter())},
+				},
+				Severity: protocol.DiagnosticSeverityError,
+				Message:  err.Error(),
+			}
+			obj := protocol.PublishDiagnosticsParams{
+				URI:         protocol.DocumentURI(PathToURI(fname)),
+				Diagnostics: []protocol.Diagnostic{diag},
+			}
+			h.state.client.PublishDiagnostics(context.Background(), &obj)
+		} else {
+			// somehow we got an error out of bounds
+			// might happen if someone puts an emoji in the file
+			obj := protocol.PublishDiagnosticsParams{
+				URI:         protocol.DocumentURI(PathToURI(fname)),
+				Diagnostics: []protocol.Diagnostic{},
+			}
+			h.state.client.PublishDiagnostics(context.Background(), &obj)
 		}
-		h.state.client.PublishDiagnostics(context.Background(), &obj)
 	} else {
 		for _, statement := range results.Statements {
 			if statement.Module != nil {
diff --git a/server/internal/vlsp/sync.go b/server/internal/vlsp/sync.go
index c49f185..a46fc20 100644
--- a/server/internal/vlsp/sync.go
+++ b/server/internal/vlsp/sync.go
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ func (h Handler) DidChange(ctx context.Context, params *protocol.DidChangeTextDo
 		fnode.SetContents(params.ContentChanges[len(params.ContentChanges)-1].Text)
 
 		// update symbols
-		h.state.log.Sugar().Info("getting symbols")
 		h.GetSymbolsForFile(file, false)
-		h.state.log.Sugar().Info("done getting them")
 	}
 	return
 }