diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Trees.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Trees.scala
index 87c1dd605b2d..6589104fb158 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Trees.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/Trees.scala
@@ -820,13 +820,15 @@ object Trees {
 
   class EmptyTree[T >: Untyped] extends Thicket(Nil)(NoSource) {
     // assert(uniqueId != 1492)
+    override def withSpan(span: Span) = throw new AssertionError("Cannot change span of EmptyTree")
   }
 
   class EmptyValDef[T >: Untyped] extends ValDef[T](
     nme.WILDCARD, genericEmptyTree[T], genericEmptyTree[T])(NoSource) with WithoutTypeOrPos[T] {
     myTpe = NoType.asInstanceOf[T]
-    override def isEmpty: Boolean = true
     setMods(untpd.Modifiers(PrivateLocal))
+    override def isEmpty: Boolean = true
+    override def withSpan(span: Span) = throw new AssertionError("Cannot change span of EmptyValDef")
   }
 
   @sharable val theEmptyTree: EmptyTree[Type] = new EmptyTree[Type]
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index 46cf3da79a6a..76c727a00a7e 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -2419,7 +2419,7 @@ object Parsers {
             makeTypeDef(typeBounds())
           case _ =>
             syntaxErrorOrIncomplete(ExpectedTypeBoundOrEquals(in.token))
-            EmptyTree
+            return EmptyTree // return to avoid setting the span to EmptyTree
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Staging.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Staging.scala
index 52314b0d89c3..33b7e6570cd2 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Staging.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Staging.scala
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ class Staging extends MacroTransform {
       else if (enclosingInlineds.nonEmpty) { // level 0 in an inlined call
         val spliceCtx = ctx.outer // drop the last `inlineContext`
         val pos: SourcePosition = spliceCtx.source.atSpan(enclosingInlineds.head.span)
-        val evaluatedSplice = Splicer.splice(splice.qualifier, pos, macroClassLoader)(spliceCtx).withSpan(splice.span)
-        if (ctx.reporter.hasErrors) splice else transform(evaluatedSplice)
+        val evaluatedSplice = Splicer.splice(splice.qualifier, pos, macroClassLoader)(spliceCtx)
+        if (ctx.reporter.hasErrors) splice else transform(evaluatedSplice.withSpan(splice.span))
       }
       else if (!ctx.owner.isInlineMethod) { // level 0 outside an inline method
         ctx.error(i"splice outside quotes or inline method", splice.sourcePos)