diff --git a/runtime/syntax/c.vim b/runtime/syntax/c.vim
index 6838109520..9b18c2b8a1 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/c.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/c.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " Vim syntax file
 " Language:		C
 " Maintainer:		The Vim Project <https://github.com/vim/vim>
-" Last Change:		2026 Jun 01
+" Last Change:		2026 Jul 25
 " Former Maintainer:	Bram Moolenaar <Bram@vim.org>
 
 " Quit when a (custom) syntax file was already loaded
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ endif
 " This should be before cErrInParen to avoid problems with #define ({ xxx })
 if exists("c_curly_error")
   syn match cCurlyError "}"
-  syn region	cBlock		start="{" end="}" contains=ALLBUT,cBadBlock,cCurlyError,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cErrInBracket,cCppBracket,@cStringGroup,@Spell fold
+  syn region	cBlock		start="{" end="}" contains=ALLBUT,cBadBlock,cCurlyError,cInitBlock,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cErrInBracket,cCppBracket,@cStringGroup,@Spell fold
 else
   syn region	cBlock		start="{" end="}" transparent fold
 endif
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ endif
 " Catch errors caused by wrong parenthesis and brackets.
 " Also accept <% for {, %> for }, <: for [ and :> for ] (C99)
 " But avoid matching <::.
-syn cluster	cParenGroup	contains=cParenError,cIncluded,cSpecial,cCommentSkip,cCommentString,cComment2String,@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cUserLabel,cBitField,cOctalZero,@cCppOutInGroup,cFormat,cNumber,cFloat,cOctal,cOctalError,cNumbersCom
+syn cluster	cParenGroup	contains=cParenError,cIncluded,cSpecial,cCommentSkip,cCommentString,cComment2String,@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cUserLabel,cBitField,cOctalZero,@cCppOutInGroup,cFormat,cNumber,cFloat,cOctal,cOctalError,cNumbersCom,cBadParenBlock
 if exists("c_no_curly_error")
   if s:in_cpp_family && !exists("cpp_no_cpp11")
     syn region	cParen		transparent start='(' end=')' contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cCppParen,@cStringGroup,@Spell
@@ -198,8 +198,15 @@ endif
 
 if s:ft ==# 'c' || exists("cpp_no_cpp11")
   syn region	cBadBlock	keepend start="{" end="}" contained containedin=cParen,cBracket,cBadBlock transparent fold
+  if !exists("c_no_curly_error") && !exists("c_no_bracket_error")
+    " Do not mistake an unmatched ')' followed by a block for a compound literal.
+    syn region	cBadParenBlock	keepend transparent start=')\_s*\ze\%({\|<%\)' matchgroup=cErrInBracket end='}\|%>' contained containedin=cBracket,cBadBlock contains=ALLBUT,cBlock,cBadBlock,cInitBlock,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cCppBracket,@cStringGroup,@Spell
+  endif
 endif
 
+" Compound literals and initializers may appear inside parentheses or brackets.
+syn region	cInitBlock	transparent matchgroup=cInitBlock start='\%([)=]\_s*\)\@<=\%({\|<%\)' end='}\|%>' contained containedin=cParen,cBracket,cBadBlock contains=ALLBUT,cBlock,cCurlyError,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cErrInBracket,cCppBracket,@cStringGroup,@Spell,cInitBlock fold
+
 "integer number, or floating point number without a dot and with "f".
 syn case ignore
 syn match	cNumbers	display transparent "\<\d\|\.\d" contains=cNumber,cFloat,cOctalError,cOctal