diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index 3079b26df6cd..493a6e1cc18e 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -3028,7 +3028,9 @@ object Parsers {
       val name = in.name
       val mod = atSpan(in.skipToken()) { modOfToken(tok, name) }
 
-      if (mods.isOneOf(mod.flags)) syntaxError(RepeatedModifier(mod.flags.flagsString))
+      if mods.isOneOf(mod.flags) then
+        syntaxError(RepeatedModifier(mod.flags.flagsString), mod.span)
+
       addMod(mods, mod)
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/neg/i17981.check b/tests/neg/i17981.check
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0ef7225d857e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i17981.check
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+-- [E015] Syntax Error: tests/neg/i17981.scala:1:6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+1 |final final case class Foo() // error
+  |      ^^^^^
+  |      Repeated modifier final
+  |
+  | longer explanation available when compiling with `-explain`
diff --git a/tests/neg/i17981.scala b/tests/neg/i17981.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d2eaa0cfa7f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i17981.scala
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+final final case class Foo() // error