diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/builtin_exprs.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/builtin_exprs.cpp
index a142a18bf..692c87ce7 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/builtin_exprs.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/builtin_exprs.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ static expr parse_placeholder(parser & p, unsigned, expr const *, pos_info const
 }
 
 static expr parse_by(parser & p, unsigned, expr const *, pos_info const & pos) {
-    parser::undef_id_to_local_scope scope(p);
     p.next();
     expr t = p.parse_tactic();
     return p.mk_by(t, pos);
@@ -133,7 +132,6 @@ static expr parse_by(parser & p, unsigned, expr const *, pos_info const & pos) {
 static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const & end_token, bool nested = false) {
     if (!p.has_tactic_decls())
         throw parser_error("invalid 'begin-end' expression, tactic module has not been imported", pos);
-    parser::undef_id_to_local_scope scope1(p);
     p.next();
     optional<expr> pre_tac = get_begin_end_pre_tactic(p.env());
     buffer<expr> tacs;
@@ -171,7 +169,7 @@ static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const &
                 p.next();
                 name id  = p.check_id_next("invalid 'assert' tactic, identifier expected");
                 p.check_token_next(get_colon_tk(), "invalid 'assert' tactic, ':' expected");
-                expr A   = p.parse_expr();
+                expr A   = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                 expr assert_tac = p.save_pos(mk_assert_tactic_expr(id, A), pos);
                 tacs.push_back(mk_begin_end_element_annotation(assert_tac));
             } else if (p.curr_is_token(get_have_tk())) {
@@ -180,7 +178,7 @@ static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const &
                 auto id_pos = p.pos();
                 name id  = p.check_id_next("invalid 'have' tactic, identifier expected");
                 p.check_token_next(get_colon_tk(), "invalid 'have' tactic, ':' expected");
-                expr A   = p.parse_expr();
+                expr A   = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                 expr assert_tac = p.save_pos(mk_assert_tactic_expr(id, A), pos);
                 tacs.push_back(mk_begin_end_element_annotation(assert_tac));
                 if (p.curr_is_token(get_bar_tk())) {
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const &
                         // parse: 'from' expr
                         p.next();
                         auto pos = p.pos();
-                        expr t = p.parse_expr();
+                        expr t = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                         t      = p.mk_app(get_rexact_tac_fn(), t, pos);
                         t      = p.save_pos(mk_begin_end_element_annotation(t), pos);
                         t      = p.save_pos(mk_begin_end_annotation(t), pos);
@@ -204,7 +202,7 @@ static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const &
                     } else if (p.curr_is_token(get_proof_tk())) {
                         auto pos = p.pos();
                         p.next();
-                        expr t = p.parse_expr();
+                        expr t = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                         p.check_token_next(get_qed_tk(), "invalid proof-qed, 'qed' expected");
                         t      = p.mk_app(get_rexact_tac_fn(), t, pos);
                         t      = p.save_pos(mk_begin_end_element_annotation(t), pos);
@@ -225,13 +223,13 @@ static expr parse_begin_end_core(parser & p, pos_info const & pos, name const &
                 }
             } else if (p.curr_is_token(get_show_tk())) {
                 auto pos = p.pos();
-                expr t = p.parse_expr();
+                expr t = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                 t      = p.mk_app(get_rexact_tac_fn(), t, pos);
                 add_tac(t, pos);
             } else if (p.curr_is_token(get_match_tk()) || p.curr_is_token(get_assume_tk()) ||
                        p.curr_is_token(get_take_tk())  || p.curr_is_token(get_fun_tk())) {
                 auto pos = p.pos();
-                expr t = p.parse_expr();
+                expr t = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
                 t      = p.mk_app(get_exact_tac_fn(), t, pos);
                 add_tac(t, pos);
             } else {
diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/builtin_tactics.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/builtin_tactics.cpp
index becbbc170..bf1809998 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/builtin_tactics.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/builtin_tactics.cpp
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ static expr parse_rparen(parser &, unsigned, expr const * args, pos_info const &
 static expr parse_let_tactic(parser & p, unsigned, expr const *, pos_info const & pos) {
     name id    = p.check_atomic_id_next("invalid 'let' tactic, identifier expected");
     p.check_token_next(get_assign_tk(), "invalid 'let' tactic, ':=' expected");
-    expr value = p.parse_expr();
+    expr value = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
     return p.save_pos(mk_let_tactic_expr(id, value), pos);
 }
 
 static expr parse_generalize_tactic(parser & p, unsigned, expr const *, pos_info const & pos) {
-    expr e = p.parse_expr();
+    expr e = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
     name id;
     if (p.curr_is_token(get_as_tk())) {
         p.next();
diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/parse_rewrite_tactic.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/parse_rewrite_tactic.cpp
index 7059e85ab..677b90d14 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/parse_rewrite_tactic.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/parse_rewrite_tactic.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace lean {
 static optional<expr> parse_pattern(parser & p) {
     if (p.curr_is_token(get_lcurly_tk())) {
         p.next();
-        expr r = p.parse_expr();
+        expr r = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
         p.check_token_next(get_rcurly_tk(), "invalid rewrite pattern, '}' expected");
         return some_expr(r);
     } else {
@@ -25,14 +25,14 @@ static expr parse_rule(parser & p, bool use_paren) {
     if (use_paren) {
         if (p.curr_is_token(get_lparen_tk())) {
             p.next();
-            expr r = p.parse_expr();
+            expr r = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
             p.check_token_next(get_rparen_tk(), "invalid rewrite pattern, ')' expected");
             return r;
         } else {
-            return p.parse_id();
+            return p.parse_tactic_id_arg();
         }
     } else {
-        return p.parse_expr();
+        return p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
     }
 }
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static expr parse_rewrite_element(parser & p, bool use_paren) {
         return parse_rewrite_unfold(p);
     if (p.curr_is_token(get_down_tk())) {
         p.next();
-        expr e = p.parse_expr();
+        expr e = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
         location loc = parse_tactic_location(p);
         return mk_rewrite_fold(e, loc);
     }
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static expr parse_rewrite_element(parser & p, bool use_paren) {
             location loc = parse_tactic_location(p);
             return mk_rewrite_reduce(loc);
         } else {
-            expr e = p.parse_expr();
+            expr e = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
             location loc = parse_tactic_location(p);
             return mk_rewrite_reduce_to(e, loc);
         }
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ expr parse_fold_tactic(parser & p) {
         p.next();
         while (true) {
             auto pos = p.pos();
-            expr e = p.parse_expr();
+            expr e = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
             location loc = parse_tactic_location(p);
             elems.push_back(p.save_pos(mk_rewrite_fold(e, loc), pos));
             if (!p.curr_is_token(get_comma_tk()))
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ expr parse_fold_tactic(parser & p) {
         }
         p.check_token_next(get_rbracket_tk(), "invalid 'fold' tactic, ',' or ']' expected");
     } else {
-        expr e = p.parse_expr();
+        expr e = p.parse_tactic_expr_arg();
         location loc = parse_tactic_location(p);
         elems.push_back(p.save_pos(mk_rewrite_fold(e, loc), pos));;
     }
diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/parser.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/parser.cpp
index 94cab6ca4..c1a503ad0 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/parser.cpp
@@ -1383,6 +1383,16 @@ static bool is_tactic_command_type(expr e) {
     return is_tactic_type(e);
 }
 
+expr parser::parse_tactic_expr_arg(unsigned rbp) {
+    parser::undef_id_to_local_scope scope1(*this);
+    return parse_expr(rbp);
+}
+
+expr parser::parse_tactic_id_arg() {
+    parser::undef_id_to_local_scope scope1(*this);
+    return parse_id();
+}
+
 optional<expr> parser::is_tactic_command(name & id) {
     if (id.is_atomic())
         id = get_tactic_name() + id;
@@ -1410,7 +1420,7 @@ expr parser::parse_tactic_expr_list() {
     check_token_next(get_lbracket_tk(), "invalid tactic, '[' expected");
     buffer<expr> args;
     while (true) {
-        args.push_back(parse_expr());
+        args.push_back(parse_tactic_expr_arg());
         if (!curr_is_token(get_comma_tk()))
             break;
         next();
@@ -1510,7 +1520,7 @@ expr parser::parse_tactic_nud() {
                         rbp = 0;
                     else
                         rbp = get_max_prec();
-                    r = mk_app(r, parse_expr(rbp), id_pos);
+                    r = mk_app(r, parse_tactic_expr_arg(rbp), id_pos);
                 }
             }
             return r;
diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/parser.h b/src/frontends/lean/parser.h
index 4d461ed0e..257e58b14 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/parser.h
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/parser.h
@@ -404,6 +404,8 @@ public:
     expr parse_scoped_expr(buffer<expr> const & ps, unsigned rbp = 0) { return parse_scoped_expr(ps.size(), ps.data(), rbp); }
 
     expr parse_tactic(unsigned rbp = 0);
+    expr parse_tactic_expr_arg(unsigned rbp = 0);
+    expr parse_tactic_id_arg();
 
     struct local_scope { parser & m_p; environment m_env;
         local_scope(parser & p, bool save_options = false);
diff --git a/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean b/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ed2b700d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+example (a b : Prop) : a → b → a ∧ b :=
+begin
+  intros,
+  splits
+end
diff --git a/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a53193607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/tactic_error_msg.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+tactic_error_msg.lean:4:2: error: unknown identifier 'splits'