diff --git a/src/go/types/index.go b/src/go/types/index.go
index ace9ee06ab..6ea25bc764 100644
--- a/src/go/types/index.go
+++ b/src/go/types/index.go
@@ -223,7 +223,11 @@ func (check *Checker) sliceExpr(x *operand, e *ast.SliceExpr) {
 	case *Basic:
 		if isString(u) {
 			if e.Slice3 {
-				check.invalidOp(x, _InvalidSliceExpr, "3-index slice of string")
+				at := e.Max
+				if at == nil {
+					at = e // e.Index[2] should be present but be careful
+				}
+				check.invalidOp(at, _InvalidSliceExpr, "3-index slice of string")
 				x.mode = invalid
 				return
 			}
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/check/expr3.src b/src/go/types/testdata/check/expr3.src
index 0f15c15a55..a63542b843 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/check/expr3.src
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/check/expr3.src
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ func indexes() {
 	_ = t[- /* ERROR "negative" */ 1]
 	_ = t[- /* ERROR "negative" */ 1 :]
 	_ = t[: - /* ERROR "negative" */ 1]
-	_ = t /* ERROR "3-index slice of string" */ [1:2:3]
-	_ = "foo" /* ERROR "3-index slice of string" */ [1:2:3]
+	_ = t[1:2:3 /* ERROR "3-index slice of string" */ ]
+	_ = "foo"[1:2:3 /* ERROR "3-index slice of string" */ ]
 	var t0 byte
 	t0 = t[0]
 	_ = t0
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
index 0d3b6ea527..e3aca4ccb0 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/check/typeparams.go2
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func _[T interface{ ~[10]E }, E any] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ []E = x[i:j:k] }
 func _[T interface{ ~[]byte }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j] }
 func _[T interface{ ~[]byte }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j:k] }
 func _[T interface{ ~string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j] }
-func _[T interface{ ~string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR 3-index slice of string */ [i:j:k] }
+func _[T interface{ ~string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j:k /* ERROR 3-index slice of string */ ] }
 
 type myByte1 []byte
 type myByte2 []byte
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T =
 func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | []int }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR no structural type */ [i:j:k] }
 
 func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j] }
-func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR 3-index slice of string */ [i:j:k] }
+func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | myByte2 | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x[i:j:k /* ERROR 3-index slice of string */ ] }
 func _[T interface{ []byte | myByte1 | []int | string }] (x T, i, j, k int) { var _ T = x /* ERROR no structural type */ [i:j] }
 
 // len/cap built-ins