diff --git a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
index 4b22eac953f5..caa15c7ff4a8 100644
--- a/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
+++ b/src/dotty/tools/dotc/parsing/Parsers.scala
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ object Parsers {
       case Ident(name1) => placeholderParams.nonEmpty && name1 == placeholderParams.head.name
       case Typed(t1, _) => isWildcard(t1)
       case Annotated(t1, _) => isWildcard(t1)
+      case Parens(t1) => isWildcard(t1)
       case _ => false
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/pos/i903.scala b/tests/pos/i903.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5afb6e53010c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i903.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+object Test {
+  def contains(s: String, i: Int) = true
+  def test1 = {
+    val f = contains("", (_: Int))
+    val ff = contains("", ((_: Int)))
+    val g: Int => Boolean = contains("", (_))
+    val gg: Int => Boolean = contains("", ((_)))
+    f.apply(0)
+    //     sandbox/eta.scala:4: error: type mismatch:
+    //  found   : Int => Int
+    //  required: Int
+    //     val f = contains("", (_: Int))
+    //                          ^
+    // sandbox/eta.scala:5: error: apply is not a member of Boolean(f)
+    //     f.apply(0)
+    //      ^
+  }
+
+  def test2 = {
+    val f = "".contains("", (_: Int)) // dotc:
+    f.apply(0)
+    // sandbox/eta.scala:18: error: apply is not a member of Boolean(f)
+    //     f.apply(0)
+    //       ^
+  }
+}