diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
index 99eee0d3c4a29..0e6b0bab082e9 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
@@ -333,7 +333,10 @@ impl<'sess> AttributeParser<'sess> {
                 {
                     lit
                 } else {
-                    let guar = self.dcx().has_errors().unwrap();
+                    let guar = self.dcx().span_delayed_bug(
+                        args.span().unwrap_or(DUMMY_SP),
+                        "expr in place where literal is expected (builtin attr parsing)",
+                    );
                     ast::MetaItemLit {
                         symbol: kw::Empty,
                         suffix: None,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
index 0ee0ea4ea5953..b6d66af4466e2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use rustc_ast_pretty::pprust;
 use rustc_errors::DiagCtxtHandle;
 use rustc_hir::{self as hir, AttrPath};
 use rustc_span::symbol::{Ident, kw};
-use rustc_span::{DUMMY_SP, ErrorGuaranteed, Span, Symbol};
+use rustc_span::{ErrorGuaranteed, Span, Symbol};
 
 pub struct SegmentIterator<'a> {
     offset: usize,
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl<'a> ArgParser<'a> {
             }
             AttrArgs::Eq { eq_span, expr } => Self::NameValue(NameValueParser {
                 eq_span: *eq_span,
-                value: expr_to_lit(dcx, &expr),
+                value: expr_to_lit(dcx, &expr, *eq_span),
                 value_span: expr.span,
             }),
         }
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ impl NameValueParser {
     }
 }
 
-fn expr_to_lit(dcx: DiagCtxtHandle<'_>, expr: &Expr) -> MetaItemLit {
+fn expr_to_lit(dcx: DiagCtxtHandle<'_>, expr: &Expr, span: Span) -> MetaItemLit {
     // In valid code the value always ends up as a single literal. Otherwise, a dummy
     // literal suffices because the error is handled elsewhere.
     if let ExprKind::Lit(token_lit) = expr.kind
@@ -356,8 +356,11 @@ fn expr_to_lit(dcx: DiagCtxtHandle<'_>, expr: &Expr) -> MetaItemLit {
     {
         lit
     } else {
-        let guar = dcx.has_errors().unwrap();
-        MetaItemLit { symbol: kw::Empty, suffix: None, kind: LitKind::Err(guar), span: DUMMY_SP }
+        let guar = dcx.span_delayed_bug(
+            span,
+            "expr in place where literal is expected (builtin attr parsing)",
+        );
+        MetaItemLit { symbol: kw::Empty, suffix: None, kind: LitKind::Err(guar), span }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.rs b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5ff7fc002fde3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Tests for the issue in #137589
+#[crate_type = foo!()]
+//~^ ERROR cannot find macro `foo` in this scope
+
+macro_rules! foo {} //~ ERROR unexpected end of macro invocation
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.stderr b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e48d3d95470d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-empty.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+error: unexpected end of macro invocation
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-empty.rs:5:1
+   |
+LL | macro_rules! foo {}
+   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ missing tokens in macro arguments
+
+error: cannot find macro `foo` in this scope
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-empty.rs:2:16
+   |
+LL | #[crate_type = foo!()]
+   |                ^^^ consider moving the definition of `foo` before this call
+   |
+note: a macro with the same name exists, but it appears later
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-empty.rs:5:14
+   |
+LL | macro_rules! foo {}
+   |              ^^^
+
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
+
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.rs b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e5eb22d6f6e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Tests for the issue in #137589
+
+
+macro_rules! foo {
+    ($x:expr) => {"rlib"}
+}
+
+#[crate_type = foo!()] //~ ERROR unexpected end of macro invocation
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.stderr b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ce188b3eef5f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-crate.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+error: unexpected end of macro invocation
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-not-crate.rs:8:16
+   |
+LL | macro_rules! foo {
+   | ---------------- when calling this macro
+...
+LL | #[crate_type = foo!()]
+   |                ^^^^^^ missing tokens in macro arguments
+   |
+note: while trying to match meta-variable `$x:expr`
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-not-crate.rs:5:6
+   |
+LL |     ($x:expr) => {"rlib"}
+   |      ^^^^^^^
+
+error: aborting due to 1 previous error
+
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.rs b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..824468c0e85b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Tests for the issue in #137589
+#[crate_type = foo!()] //~ ERROR cannot find macro `foo` in this scope
+
+macro_rules! foo {
+    ($x:expr) => {"rlib"}
+}
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.stderr b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a4967e4f12e93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/attributes/crate-type-macro-not-found.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+error: cannot find macro `foo` in this scope
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-not-found.rs:2:16
+   |
+LL | #[crate_type = foo!()]
+   |                ^^^ consider moving the definition of `foo` before this call
+   |
+note: a macro with the same name exists, but it appears later
+  --> $DIR/crate-type-macro-not-found.rs:4:14
+   |
+LL | macro_rules! foo {
+   |              ^^^
+
+error: aborting due to 1 previous error
+