diff --git a/executable_semantics/main.cpp b/executable_semantics/main.cpp
index 84ad6a9c40bd..759844d09e1f 100644
--- a/executable_semantics/main.cpp
+++ b/executable_semantics/main.cpp
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
 
+#include "executable_semantics/syntax/parser.h"
 #include "executable_semantics/syntax/syntax_helpers.h"
 #include "executable_semantics/tracing_flag.h"
 #include "llvm/Support/CommandLine.h"
 
 extern FILE* yyin;
-extern auto yyparse() -> int;  // NOLINT(readability-identifier-naming)
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   // yydebug = 1;
@@ -34,5 +34,22 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   if (quiet_option) {
     Carbon::tracing_output = false;
   }
-  return yyparse();
+
+  // No AST yet
+  std::optional<Carbon::AST> parsedInput = std::nullopt;
+
+  // Parse and handle syntax errors
+  auto syntaxErrorCode = yyparse(parsedInput);
+  if (syntaxErrorCode != 0) {
+    return syntaxErrorCode;
+  }
+
+  if (parsedInput == std::nullopt) {
+    std::cerr << "Internal error: parser validated syntax yet didn't produce "
+                 "an AST.\n";
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  // Typecheck and run the parsed program.
+  Carbon::ExecProgram(*parsedInput);
 }
diff --git a/executable_semantics/syntax/parser.ypp b/executable_semantics/syntax/parser.ypp
index 5f8a0105e86c..6c5d4efa6b0f 100644
--- a/executable_semantics/syntax/parser.ypp
+++ b/executable_semantics/syntax/parser.ypp
@@ -14,21 +14,30 @@
 }
 
 %code requires {
+#include <optional>
+
 #include "executable_semantics/ast/declaration.h"
 #include "executable_semantics/ast/field_list.h"
 #include "executable_semantics/ast/function_definition.h"
+
+namespace Carbon {
+// A representation of the parsed program.
+using AST = std::list<Carbon::Declaration>*;
+}
+
 }
 
 %code {
 extern int yylineno;
 extern int yylex();
 
-void yyerror(char* error) {
+void yyerror(std::optional<Carbon::AST> const& parsedProgram, char* error) {
   Carbon::PrintSyntaxError(error, yylineno);
 }
-// void yyerror(char* error, ...);
 }
 
+%parse-param {std::optional<Carbon::AST>& parsedProgram}
+
 %union {
    char* str;
    int num;
@@ -109,7 +118,7 @@ void yyerror(char* error) {
 %locations
 %%
 input: declaration_list
-    { Carbon::ExecProgram($1); }
+    { parsedProgram = $1; }
 ;
 pattern:
   expression
diff --git a/executable_semantics/testdata/undef2.golden b/executable_semantics/testdata/undef2.golden
index 5d2dd4058a0c..1dd693f38c26 100644
--- a/executable_semantics/testdata/undef2.golden
+++ b/executable_semantics/testdata/undef2.golden
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-********** source program **********
-********** type checking **********
-error, program must contain a function named `main`
+executable_semantics/testdata/undef2.6c:7: syntax error
 EXIT CODE: 255