diff --git a/src/julia-parser.scm b/src/julia-parser.scm
index 9436198701036..e7b7a78459a04 100644
--- a/src/julia-parser.scm
+++ b/src/julia-parser.scm
@@ -1094,6 +1094,9 @@
                 ,body)))
 
        ((if)
+	(if (newline? (peek-token s))
+	    (error (string "missing condition in \"if\" at " current-filename
+			   ":" (- (input-port-line (ts:port s)) 1))))
         (let* ((test (parse-cond s))
                (then (if (memq (require-token s) '(else elseif))
                          '(block)
diff --git a/test/parse.jl b/test/parse.jl
index d4fef884a393e..74d9e2b4cd710 100644
--- a/test/parse.jl
+++ b/test/parse.jl
@@ -401,3 +401,7 @@ test_parseerror("0x1.0p", "invalid numeric constant \"0x1.0\"")
 @test expand(Base.parse_input_line("""
               try = "No"
            """)) == Expr(:error, "unexpected \"=\"")
+
+# issue #15763
+test_parseerror("if\nfalse\nend", "missing condition in \"if\" at none:1")
+test_parseerror("if false\nelseif\nend", "missing condition in \"elseif\" at none:2")