diff --git a/base/interactiveutil.jl b/base/interactiveutil.jl
index 8a9ec7f13e0be..bee7db3be6ebf 100644
--- a/base/interactiveutil.jl
+++ b/base/interactiveutil.jl
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ function gen_call_with_extracted_types(fcn, ex0)
         return Expr(:call, fcn, esc(args[1]),
                     Expr(:call, typesof, map(esc, args[2:end])...))
     end
+    exret = Expr(:none)
     ex = expand(ex0)
     if !isa(ex, Expr)
         exret = Expr(:call, :error, "expression is not a function call or symbol")
@@ -266,7 +267,8 @@ function gen_call_with_extracted_types(fcn, ex0)
                              Expr(:call, typesof, map(esc, a1.args[2:end])...))
             end
         end
-    elseif ex.head == :thunk
+    end
+    if ex.head == :thunk || exret.head == :none
         exret = Expr(:call, :error, "expression is not a function call, "
                                   * "or is too complex for @$fcn to analyze; "
                                   * "break it down to simpler parts if possible")