diff --git a/lang/ast/expr/arith.c b/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
index ef850d0..c75b755 100644
--- a/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
+++ b/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
@@ -629,6 +629,7 @@ struct token_parse_result arith_parse_right_paren(
 		return PARSE_RESULT(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX, 0);
 	}
 
+	state->s_prev_token = IVY_SYM_RIGHT_PAREN;
 	return expr_finalise_and_return(ctx, state);
 }
 
@@ -766,6 +767,11 @@ struct token_parse_result expr_finalise(
 		flags = PARSE_REPEAT_TOKEN;
 	}
 
+	if (state->s_paren_depth > 0 && state->s_prev_token == IVY_SYM_RIGHT_PAREN) {
+		/* this is the ending right paren in a parenthesised expression, so we need to consume it. */
+		flags = 0;
+	}
+
 	if (state->s_sub_type == EXPR_SUBTYPE_MSG) {
 		/* this is the end of a unary message (probably in a cascade operation). */
 		struct ivy_ast_node *expr = NULL;
@@ -776,7 +782,7 @@ struct token_parse_result expr_finalise(
 		}
 
 		*result = expr;
-		return PARSE_RESULT(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX, PARSE_REPEAT_TOKEN);
+		return PARSE_RESULT(IVY_OK, PARSE_REPEAT_TOKEN);
 	}
 
 	if (state->s_sub_type == EXPR_SUBTYPE_CASCADE) {
@@ -817,11 +823,6 @@ struct token_parse_result expr_finalise(
 struct token_parse_result expr_finalise_and_return(
 	struct ivy_parser *ctx, struct expr_parser_state *state)
 {
-	int flags = 0;
-	if (state->s_subexpr_depth > 0) {
-		flags = PARSE_REPEAT_TOKEN;
-	}
-
 	struct ivy_ast_node *expr_node = NULL;
 	struct token_parse_result result = expr_finalise(ctx, state, IVY_PRECEDENCE_ASSIGN, &expr_node);
 
@@ -849,6 +850,7 @@ struct token_parse_result arith_parse_dot(
 		return PARSE_RESULT(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX, 0);
 	}
 	
+	state->s_prev_token = IVY_SYM_DOT;
 	return expr_finalise_and_return(ctx, state);
 }