diff --git a/include/xo/reader/define_xs.hpp b/include/xo/reader/define_xs.hpp
index 58846f33..5d7a0639 100644
--- a/include/xo/reader/define_xs.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reader/define_xs.hpp
@@ -75,9 +75,7 @@ namespace xo {
             defexprstatetype defxs_type() const { return defxs_type_; }
 
             bool admits_rightparen() const;
-            //bool admits_colon() const;
-            bool admits_semicolon() const;
-
+            //bool admits_semicolon() const;
             //bool admits_symbol() const;
 
             // virtual void on_f64(..) override
diff --git a/src/reader/define_xs.cpp b/src/reader/define_xs.cpp
index c3b977a2..9a6fe858 100644
--- a/src/reader/define_xs.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/define_xs.cpp
@@ -25,30 +25,6 @@ namespace xo {
               def_expr_{std::move(def_expr)}
         {}
 
-        bool
-        define_xs::admits_semicolon() const {
-            switch (defxs_type_) {
-
-            case defexprstatetype::def_0:
-            case defexprstatetype::def_1:
-            case defexprstatetype::def_2:
-            case defexprstatetype::def_3:
-            case defexprstatetype::def_4:
-            case defexprstatetype::def_5:
-                return false;
-            case defexprstatetype::def_6:
-                return true;
-
-            case defexprstatetype::invalid:
-            case defexprstatetype::n_defexprstatetype:
-                /* unreachable */
-                assert(false);
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            return false;
-        }
-
         bool
         define_xs::admits_rightparen() const {
             switch (defxs_type_) {
@@ -228,21 +204,14 @@ namespace xo {
         }
 
         void
-        define_xs::on_semicolon_token(const token_type & /*tk*/,
+        define_xs::on_semicolon_token(const token_type & tk,
                                       exprstatestack * p_stack,
                                       rp<Expression> * p_emit_expr)
         {
             constexpr bool c_debug_flag = true;
             scope log(XO_DEBUG(c_debug_flag));
 
-            constexpr const char * self_name = "exprstate::on_semicolon";
-
-            if (!this->admits_semicolon())
-            {
-                throw std::runtime_error(tostr(self_name,
-                                               ": unexpected semicolon for parsing state",
-                                               xtag("state", *this)));
-            }
+            //constexpr const char * self_name = "exprstate::on_semicolon";
 
             if (this->defxs_type_ == defexprstatetype::def_6) {
                 rp<Expression> expr = this->def_expr_;
@@ -253,7 +222,7 @@ namespace xo {
                                                  p_stack,
                                                  p_emit_expr);
             } else {
-                assert(false);
+                exprstate::on_semicolon_token(tk, p_stack, p_emit_expr);
             }
         }