diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/EventHandler.ts b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/EventHandler.ts
index eb96c4e63674..56fdb42a8710 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/EventHandler.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/EventHandler.ts
@@ -16,30 +16,33 @@ export default function visitEventHandler(
 	const isCustomEvent = generator.events.has(name);
 	const shouldHoist = !isCustomEvent && state.inEachBlock;
 
-	generator.addSourcemapLocations(attribute.expression);
-
-	const flattened = flattenReference(attribute.expression.callee);
-	if (flattened.name !== 'event' && flattened.name !== 'this') {
-		// allow event.stopPropagation(), this.select() etc
-		// TODO verify that it's a valid callee (i.e. built-in or declared method)
-		generator.code.prependRight(
-			attribute.expression.start,
-			`${block.alias('component')}.`
-		);
-		if (shouldHoist) state.usesComponent = true; // this feels a bit hacky but it works!
-	}
-
 	const context = shouldHoist ? null : state.parentNode;
 	const usedContexts: string[] = [];
-	attribute.expression.arguments.forEach((arg: Node) => {
-		const { contexts } = block.contextualise(arg, context, true);
 
-		contexts.forEach(context => {
-			if (!~usedContexts.indexOf(context)) usedContexts.push(context);
-			if (!~state.allUsedContexts.indexOf(context))
-				state.allUsedContexts.push(context);
+	if (attribute.expression) {
+		generator.addSourcemapLocations(attribute.expression);
+
+		const flattened = flattenReference(attribute.expression.callee);
+		if (flattened.name !== 'event' && flattened.name !== 'this') {
+			// allow event.stopPropagation(), this.select() etc
+			// TODO verify that it's a valid callee (i.e. built-in or declared method)
+			generator.code.prependRight(
+				attribute.expression.start,
+				`${block.alias('component')}.`
+			);
+			if (shouldHoist) state.usesComponent = true; // this feels a bit hacky but it works!
+		}
+
+		attribute.expression.arguments.forEach((arg: Node) => {
+			const { contexts } = block.contextualise(arg, context, true);
+
+			contexts.forEach(context => {
+				if (!~usedContexts.indexOf(context)) usedContexts.push(context);
+				if (!~state.allUsedContexts.indexOf(context))
+					state.allUsedContexts.push(context);
+			});
 		});
-	});
+	}
 
 	const _this = context || 'this';
 	const declarations = usedContexts.map(name => {
@@ -66,7 +69,9 @@ export default function visitEventHandler(
 		${state.usesComponent &&
 			`var ${block.alias('component')} = ${_this}._svelte.component;`}
 		${declarations}
-		[✂${attribute.expression.start}-${attribute.expression.end}✂];
+		${attribute.expression ?
+			`[✂${attribute.expression.start}-${attribute.expression.end}✂];` :
+			`${block.alias('component')}.fire('${attribute.name}', event);`}
 	`;
 
 	if (isCustomEvent) {
diff --git a/src/parse/index.ts b/src/parse/index.ts
index 514e074fd4ae..b9748515e5a9 100644
--- a/src/parse/index.ts
+++ b/src/parse/index.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ export class Parser {
 		if (required) {
 			this.error(`Expected ${str}`);
 		}
+
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	match(str: string) {
diff --git a/src/parse/read/directives.ts b/src/parse/read/directives.ts
index 6064a61fcbce..0b61ad635025 100644
--- a/src/parse/read/directives.ts
+++ b/src/parse/read/directives.ts
@@ -43,16 +43,21 @@ function readExpression(parser: Parser, start: number, quoteMark) {
 export function readEventHandlerDirective(
 	parser: Parser,
 	start: number,
-	name: string
+	name: string,
+	hasValue: boolean
 ) {
-	const quoteMark = parser.eat(`'`) ? `'` : parser.eat(`"`) ? `"` : null;
+	let expression;
 
-	const expressionStart = parser.index;
+	if (hasValue) {
+		const quoteMark = parser.eat(`'`) ? `'` : parser.eat(`"`) ? `"` : null;
 
-	const expression = readExpression(parser, expressionStart, quoteMark);
+		const expressionStart = parser.index;
 
-	if (expression.type !== 'CallExpression') {
-		parser.error(`Expected call expression`, expressionStart);
+		expression = readExpression(parser, expressionStart, quoteMark);
+
+		if (expression.type !== 'CallExpression') {
+			parser.error(`Expected call expression`, expressionStart);
+		}
 	}
 
 	return {
diff --git a/src/parse/state/tag.ts b/src/parse/state/tag.ts
index 6fee187dd926..cfa056136578 100644
--- a/src/parse/state/tag.ts
+++ b/src/parse/state/tag.ts
@@ -256,8 +256,7 @@ function readAttribute(parser: Parser, uniqueNames) {
 	parser.allowWhitespace();
 
 	if (/^on:/.test(name)) {
-		parser.eat('=', true);
-		return readEventHandlerDirective(parser, start, name.slice(3));
+		return readEventHandlerDirective(parser, start, name.slice(3), parser.eat('='));
 	}
 
 	if (/^bind:/.test(name)) {
diff --git a/src/validate/html/validateEventHandler.ts b/src/validate/html/validateEventHandler.ts
index 85fdad08e656..ec4476d3fbd6 100644
--- a/src/validate/html/validateEventHandler.ts
+++ b/src/validate/html/validateEventHandler.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ export default function validateEventHandlerCallee(
 	validator: Validator,
 	attribute: Node
 ) {
+	if (!attribute.expression) return;
+
 	const { callee, start, type } = attribute.expression;
 
 	if (type !== 'CallExpression') {
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ceded0bf0809
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+export default {
+	html: `
+		<button>click me</button>
+	`,
+
+	test (assert, component, target, window) {
+		const button = target.querySelector('button');
+		const event = new window.MouseEvent('click');
+
+		button.dispatchEvent(event);
+		assert.ok(component.clicked);
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/main.html b/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/main.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b283cbb5998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/event-handler-shorthand/main.html
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<button on:click>click me</button>
+
+<script>
+	export default {
+		oncreate () {
+			this.on('click', () => {
+				this.clicked = true;
+			});
+		}
+	};
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file