diff --git a/lib/tokenize.cpp b/lib/tokenize.cpp
index 38ca70571..cc4d964f0 100644
--- a/lib/tokenize.cpp
+++ b/lib/tokenize.cpp
@@ -4103,9 +4103,7 @@ bool Tokenizer::simplifyAddBraces()
 Token *Tokenizer::simplifyAddBracesToCommand(Token *tok)
 {
     Token * tokEnd=tok;
-    if (tok->str()=="for" ||
-        tok->str()=="BOOST_FOREACH" ||
-        tok->str()=="switch") {
+    if (Token::Match(tok,"for|switch|BOOST_FOREACH")) {
         tokEnd=simplifyAddBracesPair(tok,true);
     } else if (tok->str()=="while") {
         Token *tokPossibleDo=tok->previous();
@@ -4142,6 +4140,9 @@ Token *Tokenizer::simplifyAddBracesToCommand(Token *tok)
             if (tokEndNextNext && tokEndNextNext->str()=="if") {
                 // do not change "else if ..." to "else { if ... }"
                 tokEnd=simplifyAddBracesToCommand(tokEndNextNext);
+            } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tokEndNext, "else }")) {
+                syntaxError(tokEndNext);
+                return NULL;
             } else
                 tokEnd=simplifyAddBracesPair(tokEndNext,false);
         }
diff --git a/test/testtokenize.cpp b/test/testtokenize.cpp
index e4c3e88aa..695b12972 100644
--- a/test/testtokenize.cpp
+++ b/test/testtokenize.cpp
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(ifAddBraces17); // '} else' should be in the same line
         TEST_CASE(ifAddBraces18); // #3424 - if if { } else else
         TEST_CASE(ifAddBraces19); // #3928 - if for if else
+        TEST_CASE(ifAddBraces20); // #5012 - syntax error 'else }'
 
         TEST_CASE(whileAddBraces);
         TEST_CASE(doWhileAddBraces);
@@ -1345,6 +1346,11 @@ private:
                       "}", tokenizeAndStringify(code, true));
     }
 
+    void ifAddBraces20() { // #5012 - syntax error 'else }'
+        const char code[] = "void f() { if(x) {} else }";
+        tokenizeAndStringify(code,true);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:1]: (error) syntax error\n", errout.str());
+    }
 
     void whileAddBraces() {
         const char code[] = ";while(a);";