diff --git a/lang/ast/expr/arith.c b/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
index 4bfaa62..eb548de 100644
--- a/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
+++ b/lang/ast/expr/arith.c
@@ -670,14 +670,32 @@ static enum ivy_status begin_cascade_operation(struct ivy_parser *ctx)
 		first_msg = expr_finalise_keyword_msg(state);
 		parser_pop_state(ctx, 0);
 	} else {
+		/* we need to find who the first message in the cascade is being sent to. */
+		enum ivy_operator_precedence min_precedence = IVY_PRECEDENCE_CASCADE;
+
+		struct ivy_ast_node *prev = b_unbox(
+			struct ivy_ast_node,
+			b_queue_last(&state->s_operator_stack), n_entry);
+		if (prev && prev->n_type == IVY_AST_MSG) {
+			/* unary complex messages (which will be found on the operator stack) have a very high
+			 * precedence (much higher than most arithmetic operators), so the recipient will be much
+			 * narrower. this also means that any subsequent messages in the cascade inherit this high
+			 * precedence, regardless of their type. */
+			min_precedence = IVY_PRECEDENCE_UNARY_MSG;
+		}
+
 		struct ivy_ast_node *expr = NULL;
 		enum ivy_status status
-			= expr_finalise_arith(state, &expr, IVY_PRECEDENCE_CASCADE);
+			= expr_finalise_arith(state, &expr, min_precedence);
 		if (status != IVY_OK) {
 			return status;
 		}
 
 		if (expr->n_type != IVY_AST_MSG) {
+			/* the recipient and first message of the cascade operation is ambiguous due
+			 * to operator precedence. this is usually resolved by adding parentheses
+			 * (either around the recipient or around the cascade) to make the recipient
+			 * and first message clear. */
 			return IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX;
 		}