diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index 0b03429ea2e52..0f32d588b372f 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -5486,7 +5486,12 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
 
         if !self.eat(term) {
             let token_str = self.this_token_to_string();
-            return Err(self.fatal(&format!("expected item, found `{}`", token_str)));
+            let mut err = self.fatal(&format!("expected item, found `{}`", token_str));
+            let msg = "consider removing this semicolon";
+            if token_str == ";" {
+                err.span_suggestion_short(self.span, msg, "".to_string());
+            }
+            return Err(err);
         }
 
         let hi = if self.span == syntax_pos::DUMMY_SP {
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issue-46186.rs b/src/test/ui/issue-46186.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1440b9e8cdc5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/issue-46186.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+struct Struct {
+    a: usize,
+}; //~ ERROR expected item, found `;`
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issue-46186.stderr b/src/test/ui/issue-46186.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3cc9531bb5b86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/issue-46186.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+error: expected item, found `;`
+  --> $DIR/issue-46186.rs:13:2
+   |
+13 | }; //~ ERROR expected item, found `;`
+   |  ^ help: consider removing this semicolon
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+