2 files changed, 2 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/compiler/sem.nim b/compiler/sem.nim
index 8332af346..3763c9b84 100644
--- a/compiler/sem.nim
+++ b/compiler/sem.nim
@@ -556,8 +556,6 @@ proc isEmptyTree(n: PNode): bool =
   else: result = false
 
 proc semStmtAndGenerateGenerics(c: PContext, n: PNode): PNode =
-  if n.kind == nkDefer:
-    localError(c.config, n.info, "defer statement not supported at top level")
   if c.topStmts == 0 and not isImportSystemStmt(c.graph, n):
     if sfSystemModule notin c.module.flags and not isEmptyTree(n):
       c.importTable.addSym c.graph.systemModule # import the "System" identifier
diff --git a/compiler/semexprs.nim b/compiler/semexprs.nim
index 19d008557..7a124c769 100644
--- a/compiler/semexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/semexprs.nim
@@ -2624,6 +2624,8 @@ proc semExpr(c: PContext, n: PNode, flags: TExprFlags = {}): PNode =
   of nkStaticStmt:
     result = semStaticStmt(c, n)
   of nkDefer:
+    if c.currentScope == c.topLevelScope:
+      localError(c.config, n.info, "defer statement not supported at top level")
     n.sons[0] = semExpr(c, n.sons[0])
     if not n.sons[0].typ.isEmptyType and not implicitlyDiscardable(n.sons[0]):
       localError(c.config, n.info, "'defer' takes a 'void' expression")