diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index c78e4cd8fb2f..d2e523587404 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -444,9 +444,12 @@ object Parsers {
 
     /** Convert tree to formal parameter
     */
-    def convertToParam(tree: Tree, mods: Modifiers, expected: String = "formal parameter"): ValDef = tree match {
+    def convertToParam(tree: Tree, mods: Modifiers, expected: String = "formal parameter"): ValDef = tree match
+      case param: ValDef =>
+        param.withMods(param.mods | mods.flags)
       case id @ Ident(name) =>
         makeParameter(name.asTermName, TypeTree(), mods, isBackquoted = isBackquoted(id)).withSpan(tree.span)
+      // the following three cases are needed only for 2.x parameters without enclosing parentheses
       case Typed(_, tpt: TypeBoundsTree) =>
         syntaxError(s"not a legal $expected", tree.span)
         makeParameter(nme.ERROR, tree, mods)
@@ -457,7 +460,6 @@ object Parsers {
       case _ =>
         syntaxError(s"not a legal $expected", tree.span)
         makeParameter(nme.ERROR, tree, mods)
-    }
 
     /** Convert (qual)ident to type identifier
      */
@@ -891,6 +893,16 @@ object Parsers {
       val next = in.lookahead.token
       next == LBRACKET || next == LPAREN
 
+
+    def followingIsSelfType() =
+      val lookahead = in.LookaheadScanner()
+      lookahead.nextToken()
+      lookahead.token == COLON
+      && {
+        lookahead.nextToken()
+        canStartTypeTokens(lookahead.token)
+      }
+
     /** Is current ident a `*`, and is it followed by a `)`, `, )`, `,EOF`? The latter two are not
         syntactically valid, but we need to include them here for error recovery. */
     def followingIsVararg(): Boolean =
@@ -905,6 +917,21 @@ object Parsers {
            }
       }
 
+    /** When encountering a `:`, is that in the first binding of a lambda?
+     *  @pre location of the enclosing expression is `InParens`, so there is am open `(`.
+     */
+    def followingisLambdaParams() =
+      val lookahead = in.LookaheadScanner()
+      lookahead.nextToken()
+      while lookahead.token != RPAREN && lookahead.token != EOF do
+        if lookahead.token == LPAREN then lookahead.skipParens()
+        else lookahead.nextToken()
+      lookahead.token == RPAREN
+      && {
+        lookahead.nextToken()
+        lookahead.isArrow
+      }
+
   /* --------- OPERAND/OPERATOR STACK --------------------------------------- */
 
     var opStack: List[OpInfo] = Nil
@@ -2273,7 +2300,7 @@ object Parsers {
           placeholderParams = param :: placeholderParams
           atSpan(start) { Ident(pname) }
         case LPAREN =>
-          atSpan(in.offset) { makeTupleOrParens(inParens(exprsInParensOpt())) }
+          atSpan(in.offset) { makeTupleOrParens(inParens(exprsInParensOrBindings())) }
         case LBRACE | INDENT =>
           canApply = false
           blockExpr()
@@ -2343,7 +2370,17 @@ object Parsers {
           val app = applyToClosure(t, in.offset, convertToParams(termIdent()))
           simpleExprRest(app, location, canApply = true)
         case _ =>
-          t
+          t match
+            case id @ Ident(name)
+            if in.isColon() && location == Location.InParens && followingisLambdaParams() =>
+              if name.is(WildcardParamName) then
+                assert(name == placeholderParams.head.name)
+                placeholderParams = placeholderParams.tail
+              atSpan(startOffset(id)) {
+                makeParameter(name.asTermName, typedOpt(), Modifiers(), isBackquoted = isBackquoted(id))
+              }
+            case _ =>
+              t
       }
     }
 
@@ -2377,9 +2414,20 @@ object Parsers {
       }
 
     /**   ExprsInParens     ::=  ExprInParens {`,' ExprInParens}
+     *    Bindings          ::=  Binding {`,' Binding}
      */
-    def exprsInParensOpt(): List[Tree] =
-      if (in.token == RPAREN) Nil else commaSeparated(exprInParens)
+    def exprsInParensOrBindings(): List[Tree] =
+      if in.token == RPAREN then Nil
+      else in.currentRegion.withCommasExpected {
+        var isFormalParams = false
+        def exprOrBinding() =
+          if isFormalParams then binding(Modifiers())
+          else
+            val t = exprInParens()
+            if t.isInstanceOf[ValDef] then isFormalParams = true
+            t
+        commaSeparatedRest(exprOrBinding(), exprOrBinding)
+      }
 
     /** ParArgumentExprs ::= `(' [‘using’] [ExprsInParens] `)'
      *                    |  `(' [ExprsInParens `,'] PostfixExpr `*' ')'
@@ -3892,7 +3940,37 @@ object Parsers {
       stats.toList
     }
 
-    /** TemplateStatSeq  ::= [id [`:' Type] `=>'] TemplateStat {semi TemplateStat}
+    /** SelfType ::=  id [‘:’ InfixType] ‘=>’
+     *            |  ‘this’ ‘:’ InfixType ‘=>’
+     */
+    def selfType(): ValDef =
+      if (in.isIdent || in.token == THIS)
+            && (in.lookahead.token == COLON && followingIsSelfType()
+                || in.lookahead.token == ARROW)
+      then
+        atSpan(in.offset) {
+          val selfName =
+            if in.token == THIS then
+              in.nextToken()
+              nme.WILDCARD
+            else ident()
+          val selfTpt =
+            if in.token == COLON then
+              in.nextToken()
+              infixType()
+            else
+              if selfName == nme.WILDCARD then accept(COLON)
+              TypeTree()
+          if in.token == ARROW then
+            in.token = SELFARROW // suppresses INDENT insertion after `=>`
+            in.nextToken()
+          else
+            syntaxError("`=>` expected after self type")
+          makeSelfDef(selfName, selfTpt)
+        }
+      else EmptyValDef
+
+    /** TemplateStatSeq  ::= [SelfType] TemplateStat {semi TemplateStat}
      *  TemplateStat     ::= Import
      *                     | Export
      *                     | Annotations Modifiers Def
@@ -3904,25 +3982,8 @@ object Parsers {
      *                     | Annotations Modifiers EnumCase
      */
     def templateStatSeq(): (ValDef, List[Tree]) = checkNoEscapingPlaceholders {
-      var self: ValDef = EmptyValDef
       val stats = new ListBuffer[Tree]
-      if isExprIntro && !isDefIntro(modifierTokens) then
-        val first = expr1()
-        if in.token == ARROW then
-          first match {
-            case Typed(tree @ This(EmptyTypeIdent), tpt) =>
-              self = makeSelfDef(nme.WILDCARD, tpt).withSpan(first.span)
-            case _ =>
-              val ValDef(name, tpt, _) = convertToParam(first, EmptyModifiers, "self type clause")
-              if (name != nme.ERROR)
-                self = makeSelfDef(name, tpt).withSpan(first.span)
-          }
-          in.token = SELFARROW // suppresses INDENT insertion after `=>`
-          in.nextToken()
-        else
-          stats += first
-          statSepOrEnd(stats)
-      end if
+      val self = selfType()
       while
         var empty = false
         if (in.token == IMPORT)
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Tokens.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Tokens.scala
index 1f414e7e912c..594312f9aaaa 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Tokens.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Tokens.scala
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ object Tokens extends TokensCommon {
   final val canStartExprTokens2: TokenSet = canStartExprTokens3 | BitSet(DO)
 
   final val canStartTypeTokens: TokenSet = literalTokens | identifierTokens | BitSet(
-    THIS, SUPER, USCORE, LPAREN, AT)
+    THIS, SUPER, USCORE, LPAREN, LBRACE, AT)
 
   final val templateIntroTokens: TokenSet = BitSet(CLASS, TRAIT, OBJECT, ENUM, CASECLASS, CASEOBJECT)
 
diff --git a/tests/neg/cycles.scala b/tests/neg/cycles.scala
index b77d253bd527..b24a367c8377 100644
--- a/tests/neg/cycles.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/cycles.scala
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@ class T2 {
   type U = X | Int
 }
 object T12 {
-  ??? : (T1 {})#U // old-error: conflicting bounds
+  val _ : (T1 {})#U = ??? // old-error: conflicting bounds
   ??? : (T2 {})#U // old-error: conflicting bounds
 }
diff --git a/tests/neg/i13769.check b/tests/neg/i13769.check
index 3d7af1bd06a1..8291a84fc899 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i13769.check
+++ b/tests/neg/i13769.check
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
--- Error: tests/neg/i13769.scala:2:18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-2 |val te = tup.map((x: _ <: Int) => List(x)) // error // error
-  |                  ^^^^^^^^^^^
-  |                  not a legal formal parameter
--- [E006] Not Found Error: tests/neg/i13769.scala:2:39 -----------------------------------------------------------------
-2 |val te = tup.map((x: _ <: Int) => List(x)) // error // error
-  |                                       ^
-  |                                       Not found: x
+-- [E035] Syntax Error: tests/neg/i13769.scala:2:21 --------------------------------------------------------------------
+2 |val te = tup.map((x: _ <: Int) => List(x)) // error
+  |                     ^^^^^^^^
+  |                     Unbound wildcard type
   |
   | longer explanation available when compiling with `-explain`
diff --git a/tests/neg/i13769.scala b/tests/neg/i13769.scala
index 67575e821334..e4e66fe2cef2 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i13769.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i13769.scala
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 val tup = (1, "s")
-val te = tup.map((x: _ <: Int) => List(x)) // error // error
+val te = tup.map((x: _ <: Int) => List(x)) // error
diff --git a/tests/neg/i1424.scala b/tests/neg/i1424.scala
index 8eba3284211b..deffd671761e 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i1424.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i1424.scala
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 class Test {
-  (x: Int) => x // error: not a legal self type clause // error: not found x
+  (x: Int) => x // error: not a legal self type clause
 }
diff --git a/tests/neg/i4373b.scala b/tests/neg/i4373b.scala
index 297fcd76ff08..45b60a46c721 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i4373b.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i4373b.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // ==> 05bef7805687ba94da37177f7568e3ba7da1f91c.scala <==
 class x0 {
-  x1: // error
+  x1:
       x0 | _  // error
 // error
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/neg/i7818.scala b/tests/neg/i7818.scala
index 1dc243cfeedc..78cbee506784 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i7818.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i7818.scala
@@ -1 +1 @@
-def foo = (x: @) => ()  // error // error
\ No newline at end of file
+def foo = (x: @) => ()  // error
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/neg/parser-stability-16.scala b/tests/neg/parser-stability-16.scala
index 9ba58d0219f2..25fb38374c45 100644
--- a/tests/neg/parser-stability-16.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/parser-stability-16.scala
@@ -3,4 +3,3 @@ class x0[x0] {
 }
 trait x3 extends x0 { // error
 x1 = 0 object  // error // error
-// error
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/neg/parser-stability-5.scala b/tests/neg/parser-stability-5.scala
index 69f4568aab73..5de49927ee58 100644
--- a/tests/neg/parser-stability-5.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/parser-stability-5.scala
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 trait x0 {
-x1 : {   // error
+x1 : {
 var x2
 // error
\ No newline at end of file