diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/messages.ftl b/compiler/rustc_parse/messages.ftl
index 6cb851eb8df6b..e8bff931f835e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/messages.ftl
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/messages.ftl
@@ -415,6 +415,9 @@ parse_invalid_meta_item = expected unsuffixed literal, found `{$token}`
 
 parse_invalid_offset_of = offset_of expects dot-separated field and variant names
 
+parse_invalid_path_sep_in_fn_definition = invalid path separator in function definition
+    .suggestion = remove invalid path separator
+
 parse_invalid_unicode_escape = invalid unicode character escape
     .label = invalid escape
     .help = unicode escape must {$surrogate ->
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/errors.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/errors.rs
index 20bcefd4fe1e7..86ed38a96c53b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/errors.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/errors.rs
@@ -1755,6 +1755,14 @@ pub(crate) struct MissingFnParams {
     pub span: Span,
 }
 
+#[derive(Diagnostic)]
+#[diag(parse_invalid_path_sep_in_fn_definition)]
+pub(crate) struct InvalidPathSepInFnDefinition {
+    #[primary_span]
+    #[suggestion(code = "", applicability = "machine-applicable", style = "verbose")]
+    pub span: Span,
+}
+
 #[derive(Diagnostic)]
 #[diag(parse_missing_trait_in_trait_impl)]
 pub(crate) struct MissingTraitInTraitImpl {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/item.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/item.rs
index 9fc82d84225cc..7807b3c12ecef 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/item.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/item.rs
@@ -2767,9 +2767,16 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
         // might be typo'd trait impl, handled elsewhere
         && !self.token.is_keyword(kw::For)
         {
-            // recover from missing argument list, e.g. `fn main -> () {}`
-            self.dcx()
-                .emit_err(errors::MissingFnParams { span: self.prev_token.span.shrink_to_hi() });
+            if self.token == token::PathSep && self.look_ahead(1, |t| *t == TokenKind::Lt) {
+                // invalid path separator `::` in function definition
+                // for example `fn invalid_path_separator::<T>() {}`
+                self.dcx().emit_err(errors::InvalidPathSepInFnDefinition { span: self.token.span });
+            } else {
+                // recover from missing argument list, e.g. `fn main -> () {}`
+                self.dcx().emit_err(errors::MissingFnParams {
+                    span: self.prev_token.span.shrink_to_hi(),
+                });
+            }
             return Ok(ThinVec::new());
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.fixed b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a0f9e1d719864
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+//@ run-rustfix
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn invalid_path_separator<T>() {}
+//~^ ERROR invalid path separator in function definition
+//~| ERROR expected
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.rs b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5314fbbf75c4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+//@ run-rustfix
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn invalid_path_separator::<T>() {}
+//~^ ERROR invalid path separator in function definition
+//~| ERROR expected
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.stderr b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d93c07f8cab40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/parser/issues/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+error: invalid path separator in function definition
+  --> $DIR/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.rs:4:26
+   |
+LL | fn invalid_path_separator::<T>() {}
+   |                          ^^
+   |
+help: remove invalid path separator
+   |
+LL - fn invalid_path_separator::<T>() {}
+LL + fn invalid_path_separator<T>() {}
+   |
+
+error: expected one of `->`, `<`, `where`, or `{`, found `::`
+  --> $DIR/invalid-path-sep-in-fn-definition-issue-130791.rs:4:26
+   |
+LL | fn invalid_path_separator::<T>() {}
+   |                          ^^ expected one of `->`, `<`, `where`, or `{`
+
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
+