diff --git a/runtime/syntax/synload.vim b/runtime/syntax/synload.vim
index b88cd95103..056e38bf79 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/synload.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/synload.vim
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ fun! s:SynSet()
     unlet b:current_syntax
   endif
 
-  let s = expand("<amatch>")
+  0verbose let s = expand("<amatch>")
   if s == "ON"
     " :set syntax=ON
     if &filetype == ""
diff --git a/runtime/syntax/syntax.vim b/runtime/syntax/syntax.vim
index ac7dc314b9..55a2ee6d71 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/syntax.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/syntax.vim
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ endif
 
 " Set up the connection between FileType and Syntax autocommands.
 " This makes the syntax automatically set when the file type is detected.
+" Avoid an error when 'verbose' is set and <amatch> expansion fails.
 augroup syntaxset
-  au! FileType *	exe "set syntax=" . expand("<amatch>")
+  au! FileType *	0verbose exe "set syntax=" . expand("<amatch>")
 augroup END
 
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
index ac2a65844f..7ed28e823e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
@@ -6617,18 +6617,19 @@ ssize_t find_cmdline_var(const char_u *src, size_t *usedlen)
 
 /// Evaluate cmdline variables.
 ///
-/// change '%'       to curbuf->b_ffname
-///        '#'       to curwin->w_alt_fnum
-///        '<cword>' to word under the cursor
-///        '<cWORD>' to WORD under the cursor
-///        '<cexpr>' to C-expression under the cursor
-///        '<cfile>' to path name under the cursor
-///        '<sfile>' to sourced file name
-///        '<stack>' to call stack
-///        '<slnum>' to sourced file line number
-///        '<afile>' to file name for autocommand
-///        '<abuf>'  to buffer number for autocommand
-///        '<amatch>' to matching name for autocommand
+/// change "%"       to curbuf->b_ffname
+///        "#"       to curwin->w_alt_fnum
+///        "<cword>" to word under the cursor
+///        "<cWORD>" to WORD under the cursor
+///        "<cexpr>" to C-expression under the cursor
+///        "<cfile>" to path name under the cursor
+///        "<sfile>" to sourced file name
+///        "<stack>" to call stack
+///        "<script>" to current script name
+///        "<slnum>" to sourced file line number
+///        "<afile>" to file name for autocommand
+///        "<abuf>"  to buffer number for autocommand
+///        "<amatch>" to matching name for autocommand
 ///
 /// When an error is detected, "errormsg" is set to a non-NULL pointer (may be
 /// "" for error without a message) and NULL is returned.
diff --git a/src/nvim/testdir/test_excmd.vim b/src/nvim/testdir/test_excmd.vim
index dac7a6989d..9a9e5c546b 100644
--- a/src/nvim/testdir/test_excmd.vim
+++ b/src/nvim/testdir/test_excmd.vim
@@ -568,10 +568,12 @@ endfunc
 
 " Test for the :verbose command
 func Test_verbose_cmd()
-  call assert_equal(['  verbose=1'], split(execute('verbose set vbs'), "\n"))
+  set verbose=3
+  call assert_match('  verbose=1\n\s*Last set from ', execute('verbose set vbs'), "\n")
   call assert_equal(['  verbose=0'], split(execute('0verbose set vbs'), "\n"))
-  let l = execute("4verbose set verbose | set verbose")
-  call assert_equal(['  verbose=4', '  verbose=0'], split(l, "\n"))
+  set verbose=0
+  call assert_match('  verbose=4\n\s*Last set from .*\n  verbose=0',
+        \ execute("4verbose set verbose | set verbose"))
 endfunc
 
 " Test for the :delete command and the related abbreviated commands