diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 12931aff51..6b3d78aa6e 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -887,7 +887,13 @@ get_lval(
 	    if (*p == ':')
 	    {
 		scriptitem_T *si = SCRIPT_ITEM(current_sctx.sc_sid);
-		char_u	 *tp = skipwhite(p + 1);
+		char_u	     *tp = skipwhite(p + 1);
+
+		if (tp == p + 1 && !quiet)
+		{
+		    semsg(_(e_white_space_required_after_str_str), ":", p);
+		    return NULL;
+		}
 
 		// parse the type after the name
 		lp->ll_type = parse_type(&tp, &si->sn_type_list, !quiet);
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_assign.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_assign.vim
index dffec4f689..6b6311a56a 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_assign.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_assign.vim
@@ -1722,6 +1722,8 @@ def Test_var_type_check()
   END
   CheckScriptFailure(lines, 'E1069:')
 
+  CheckDefAndScriptFailure(['var n:number = 42'], 'E1069:')
+
   lines =<< trim END
     vim9script
     var name: asdf
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index aa5d02a6fa..c5142d277b 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -755,6 +755,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    3370,
 /**/
     3369,
 /**/