diff --git a/include/tree_sitter/parser.h b/include/tree_sitter/parser.h
index 7b59e14f..fb9a8c58 100644
--- a/include/tree_sitter/parser.h
+++ b/include/tree_sitter/parser.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ struct TSLanguage {
   const unsigned short *parse_table;
   const TSParseActionEntry *parse_actions;
   const TSStateId *lex_states;
-  bool (*lex_fn)(TSLexer *, TSStateId, bool);
+  bool (*lex_fn)(TSLexer *, TSStateId);
 };
 
 /*
@@ -106,22 +106,18 @@ struct TSLanguage {
   next_state:         \
   lookahead = lexer->lookahead;
 
-#define GO_TO_STATE(state_value) \
-  {                              \
-    state = state_value;         \
-    goto next_state;             \
-  }
-
 #define ADVANCE(state_value)                                  \
   {                                                           \
     lexer->advance(lexer, state_value, TSTransitionTypeMain); \
-    GO_TO_STATE(state_value);                                 \
+    state = state_value;         \
+    goto next_state;             \
   }
 
 #define SKIP(state_value)                                          \
   {                                                                \
     lexer->advance(lexer, state_value, TSTransitionTypeSeparator); \
-    GO_TO_STATE(state_value);                                      \
+    state = state_value;         \
+    goto next_state;             \
   }
 
 #define ACCEPT_TOKEN(symbol_value)       \
@@ -130,14 +126,7 @@ struct TSLanguage {
     return true;                         \
   }
 
-#define LEX_ERROR()                                        \
-  if (error_mode) {                                        \
-    if (state == TS_STATE_ERROR)                           \
-      lexer->advance(lexer, state, TSTransitionTypeError); \
-    GO_TO_STATE(TS_STATE_ERROR);                           \
-  } else {                                                 \
-    return false;                                          \
-  }
+#define LEX_ERROR() return false
 
 /*
  *  Parse Table Macros
diff --git a/spec/runtime/parser_spec.cc b/spec/runtime/parser_spec.cc
index ece011f3..837f3f4e 100644
--- a/spec/runtime/parser_spec.cc
+++ b/spec/runtime/parser_spec.cc
@@ -162,6 +162,15 @@ describe("Parser", [&]() {
         AssertThat(get_node_text(last), Equals("true"));
       });
     });
+
+    describe("when there is an unterminated error", [&]() {
+      it("maintains a consistent tree", [&]() {
+        ts_document_set_language(doc, get_test_language("javascript"));
+        set_text("a; /* b");
+        assert_root_node(
+          "(ERROR (program (expression_statement (identifier))) (UNEXPECTED EOF))");
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe("handling extra tokens", [&]() {
diff --git a/src/compiler/generate_code/c_code.cc b/src/compiler/generate_code/c_code.cc
index f0cfa129..7ee66d5a 100644
--- a/src/compiler/generate_code/c_code.cc
+++ b/src/compiler/generate_code/c_code.cc
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ class CCodeGenerator {
 
   void add_lex_function() {
     line(
-      "static bool ts_lex(TSLexer *lexer, TSStateId state, bool error_mode) {");
+      "static bool ts_lex(TSLexer *lexer, TSStateId state) {");
     indent([&]() {
       line("START_LEXER();");
       _switch("state", [&]() {
diff --git a/src/runtime/lexer.c b/src/runtime/lexer.c
index dd58cfc9..57ce1cc2 100644
--- a/src/runtime/lexer.c
+++ b/src/runtime/lexer.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ static void ts_lexer__advance(TSLexer *self, TSStateId state,
   if (self->lookahead_size) {
     self->current_position.bytes += self->lookahead_size;
     self->current_position.chars++;
-
     if (self->lookahead == '\n') {
       self->current_position.rows++;
       self->current_position.columns = 0;
@@ -132,7 +131,6 @@ void ts_lexer_reset(TSLexer *self, TSLength position) {
 
 void ts_lexer_start(TSLexer *self, TSStateId lex_state) {
   LOG("start_lex state:%d, pos:%lu", lex_state, self->current_position.chars);
-  LOG_LOOKAHEAD();
 
   self->starting_state = lex_state;
   self->token_start_position = self->current_position;
diff --git a/src/runtime/parser.c b/src/runtime/parser.c
index 3a33b481..ede3c121 100644
--- a/src/runtime/parser.c
+++ b/src/runtime/parser.c
@@ -242,17 +242,33 @@ static bool parser__condense_stack(Parser *self) {
   return result;
 }
 
-static TSTree *parser__lex(Parser *self, TSStateId parse_state, bool error_mode) {
+static TSTree *parser__lex(Parser *self, TSStateId parse_state) {
   TSStateId state = self->language->lex_states[parse_state];
   LOG("lex state:%d", state);
 
+  TSStateId current_state = state;
   TSLength position = self->lexer.current_position;
-
   ts_lexer_start(&self->lexer, state);
-  if (!self->language->lex_fn(&self->lexer, state, error_mode)) {
-    ts_lexer_reset(&self->lexer, position);
-    ts_lexer_start(&self->lexer, state);
-    assert(self->language->lex_fn(&self->lexer, TS_STATE_ERROR, true));
+
+  while (!self->language->lex_fn(&self->lexer, current_state)) {
+    if (current_state != TS_STATE_ERROR) {
+      LOG("retry_in_error_mode");
+      ts_lexer_reset(&self->lexer, position);
+      ts_lexer_start(&self->lexer, state);
+      current_state = TS_STATE_ERROR;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (self->lexer.lookahead == 0) {
+      self->lexer.result_symbol = ts_builtin_sym_error;
+      break;
+    }
+
+    if (self->lexer.current_position.chars == position.chars) {
+      self->lexer.advance(&self->lexer, TS_STATE_ERROR, TSTransitionTypeError);
+    }
+
+    position = self->lexer.current_position;
   }
 
   TSLexerResult lex_result;
@@ -333,8 +349,7 @@ static TSTree *parser__get_lookahead(Parser *self, StackVersion version,
 
   ts_lexer_reset(&self->lexer, position);
   TSStateId parse_state = ts_stack_top_state(self->stack, version);
-  bool error_mode = parse_state == TS_STATE_ERROR;
-  return parser__lex(self, parse_state, error_mode);
+  return parser__lex(self, parse_state);
 
 error:
   return NULL;