diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index c316e891f..a53c6a858 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Compiler Features:
 
 
 Bugfixes:
+ * Parser: Fix an internal error for ``abstract`` without ``contract``.
 
 
 
diff --git a/libsolidity/parsing/Parser.cpp b/libsolidity/parsing/Parser.cpp
index 6072ef6bb..9f165c75c 100644
--- a/libsolidity/parsing/Parser.cpp
+++ b/libsolidity/parsing/Parser.cpp
@@ -278,7 +278,8 @@ std::pair<ContractKind, bool> Parser::parseContractKind()
 		kind = ContractKind::Library;
 		break;
 	default:
-		solAssert(false, "Invalid contract kind.");
+		parserError("Expected keyword \"contract\", \"interface\" or \"library\".");
+		return std::make_pair(ContractKind::Contract, abstract);
 	}
 	m_scanner->next();
 	return std::make_pair(kind, abstract);
diff --git a/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_only.sol b/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_only.sol
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1445324a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_only.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+abstract
+// ----
+// ParserError: (9-9): Expected keyword "contract", "interface" or "library".
+// ParserError: (9-9): Expected identifier but got end of source
diff --git a/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_without_contract.sol b/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_without_contract.sol
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e5e25bbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/libsolidity/syntaxTests/abstract/abstract_without_contract.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+abstract A { }
+// ----
+// ParserError: (9-10): Expected keyword "contract", "interface" or "library".