diff --git a/ghc/compiler/parser/ParseUtil.lhs b/ghc/compiler/parser/ParseUtil.lhs
index 77b7052bd49143d2b9cee4d589f91317bb87a64a..a679d3aafde5909c4636f994a56a0609100c0ea4 100644
--- a/ghc/compiler/parser/ParseUtil.lhs
+++ b/ghc/compiler/parser/ParseUtil.lhs
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ checkPat (HsApp f x) args =
 checkPat e [] = case e of
 	EWildPat	   -> returnP WildPatIn
 	HsVar x		   -> returnP (VarPatIn x)
-	HsLit (HsLitLit _) -> patFail
 	HsLit l 	   -> returnP (LitPatIn l)
 	ELazyPat e	   -> checkPat e [] `thenP` (returnP . LazyPatIn)
 	EAsPat n e	   -> checkPat e [] `thenP` (returnP . AsPatIn n)