diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index 7a359e662e..83a6681181 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -2513,6 +2513,9 @@ static void compile_atom_paren(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns->nodes[0])) {
         // an empty tuple
         EMIT_ARG(build, 0, MP_EMIT_BUILD_TUPLE);
+    } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_ID(pns->nodes[0])) {
+        // a lone ID
+        compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[0]);
     } else {
         assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(pns->nodes[0], PN_testlist_comp));
         pns = (mp_parse_node_struct_t *)pns->nodes[0];
diff --git a/py/parse.c b/py/parse.c
index 54be8b97d0..a4d74637d6 100644
--- a/py/parse.c
+++ b/py/parse.c
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ typedef struct _parser_t {
     mp_parse_tree_t tree;
     mp_parse_chunk_t *cur_chunk;
 
+    uint32_t cur_view;
+
     #if MICROPY_COMP_CONST
     mp_map_t consts;
     #endif
@@ -957,6 +959,9 @@ static void push_result_rule(parser_t *parser, size_t src_line, uint8_t rule_id,
             // need to keep parenthesis for ()
         } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(pn, RULE_testlist_comp)) {
             // need to keep parenthesis for (a, b, ...)
+        } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_ID(pn) && MP_PARSE_IS_PARSING_ARGLIST(parser)) {
+            // Keep parentheses around single IDs that are function arguments
+            // since they may be keyword arguments.
         } else {
             // parenthesis around a single expression, so it's just the expression
             return;
@@ -1044,6 +1049,8 @@ mp_parse_tree_t mp_parse(mp_lexer_t *lex, mp_parse_input_kind_t input_kind) {
     parser.tree.chunk = NULL;
     parser.cur_chunk = NULL;
 
+    parser.cur_view = 0x0;
+
     #if MICROPY_COMP_CONST
     mp_map_init(&parser.consts, 0);
     #endif
@@ -1234,12 +1241,21 @@ mp_parse_tree_t mp_parse(mp_lexer_t *lex, mp_parse_input_kind_t input_kind) {
             default: {
                 assert((rule_act & RULE_ACT_KIND_MASK) == RULE_ACT_LIST);
 
+                if (rule_id == RULE_arglist && !MP_PARSE_IS_PARSING_ARGLIST(&parser)) {
+                    parser.cur_view |= MP_PARSE_PARSING_ARGLIST;
+                }
+
                 // n=2 is: item item*
                 // n=1 is: item (sep item)*
                 // n=3 is: item (sep item)* [sep]
                 bool had_trailing_sep;
                 if (backtrack) {
                 list_backtrack:
+
+                    if (rule_id == RULE_arglist) {
+                        parser.cur_view &= ~MP_PARSE_PARSING_ARGLIST;
+                    }
+
                     had_trailing_sep = false;
                     if (n == 2) {
                         if (i == 1) {
diff --git a/py/parse.h b/py/parse.h
index 5531e35cbb..ddb48b2466 100644
--- a/py/parse.h
+++ b/py/parse.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 
 #include "py/obj.h"
 
+#define MP_PARSE_PARSING_ARGLIST    (0x1)
+#define MP_PARSE_IS_PARSING_ARGLIST(parser) (((parser)->cur_view) & MP_PARSE_PARSING_ARGLIST)
+
 struct _mp_lexer_t;
 
 // a mp_parse_node_t is:
diff --git a/tests/basics/fun2.py b/tests/basics/fun2.py
index a3c3e7babf..f7560e71c0 100644
--- a/tests/basics/fun2.py
+++ b/tests/basics/fun2.py
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ def g(x):
     f(4 * x)
 
 g(3)
+a = 3
+g((a)) # Making sure the extra parentheses cause no issues
diff --git a/tests/basics/fun_kwargs_syntax.py b/tests/basics/fun_kwargs_syntax.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4550ec556a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/fun_kwargs_syntax.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Test function call keyword argument syntax
+
+def test_syntax(code):
+    try:
+        eval(code)
+    except SyntaxError:
+        print("SyntaxError in '{}'".format(code))
+
+def f(a):
+    return a
+
+# Should throw syntax errors.
+test_syntax("f((a)=2)")
+test_syntax("f(a()=2)")
+test_syntax("f(a or b=2)")
+test_syntax("f(2, (a)=3)")
+test_syntax("f((a) = 1, (b) = 5)")
+test_syntax("f((a, b) = 1)")
+test_syntax("f(f(), (a)=2)")