diff --git a/src/dreamchecker/tests/new_tests.rs b/src/dreamchecker/tests/new_tests.rs
index 245eec9a..2f434912 100644
--- a/src/dreamchecker/tests/new_tests.rs
+++ b/src/dreamchecker/tests/new_tests.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ extern crate dreamchecker as dc;
 use dc::test_helpers::*;
 
 pub const NEW_DOT_ERRORS: &[(u32, u16, &str)] = &[
-    (13, 14, "got '(', expected one of: operator, field access, ';'"),
+    (12, 14, "got '(', expected one of: operator, field access, ';'"),
 ];
 
 #[test]
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ fn new_dot() {
     new /obj()
     new /obj{name = "foo"}()
     new .subtype()
-    new L[1]()
     new src.name
     new foo()()
     new /obj[0]() // TODO: see parser.rs
@@ -28,3 +27,18 @@ fn new_dot() {
 "##.trim();
     check_errors_match(code, NEW_DOT_ERRORS);
 }
+
+pub const NEW_PRECEDENCE_ERRORS: &[(u32, u16, &str)] = &[
+    (4, 13, "got '(', expected one of: operator, field access, ';'"),
+];
+
+#[test]
+fn new_precedence() {
+    let code = r##"
+/mob/subtype
+/mob/proc/foo()
+/mob/proc/test()
+    new L[1]()
+"##.trim();
+    check_errors_match(code, NEW_PRECEDENCE_ERRORS);
+}
diff --git a/src/dreammaker/ast.rs b/src/dreammaker/ast.rs
index 6c6f44e3..7cf059f2 100644
--- a/src/dreammaker/ast.rs
+++ b/src/dreammaker/ast.rs
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ pub enum NewType {
     /// A "mini-expression" in which to find the prefab to instantiate.
     MiniExpr {
         ident: Ident,
-        fields: Vec<IndexOrField>,
+        fields: Vec<Field>,
     },
 }
 
@@ -680,21 +680,16 @@ pub enum Follow {
     Call(IndexKind, Ident, Vec<Expression>),
 }
 
-/// Like a `Follow` but supports index or fields only.
+/// Like a `Follow` but only supports field accesses.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub enum IndexOrField {
-    /// Index the value by an expression.
-    Index(Box<Expression>),
-    /// Access a field of the value.
-    Field(IndexKind, Ident),
+pub struct Field {
+    pub kind: IndexKind,
+    pub ident: Ident,
 }
 
-impl From<IndexOrField> for Follow {
-    fn from(input: IndexOrField) -> Follow {
-        match input {
-            IndexOrField::Index(expr) => Follow::Index(expr),
-            IndexOrField::Field(kind, name) => Follow::Field(kind, name),
-        }
+impl From<Field> for Follow {
+    fn from(field: Field) -> Follow {
+        Follow::Field(field.kind, field.ident)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dreammaker/parser.rs b/src/dreammaker/parser.rs
index 7ddba97e..c24bd43b 100644
--- a/src/dreammaker/parser.rs
+++ b/src/dreammaker/parser.rs
@@ -1890,7 +1890,7 @@ impl<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> Parser<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> {
 
         let start = self.updated_location();
         let term = match self.next("term")? {
-            // term :: 'new' (prefab | (ident (index | field)*))? arglist?
+            // term :: 'new' (prefab | (ident field*))? arglist?
             Token::Ident(ref i, _) if i == "new" => {
                 // It's not entirely clear what is supposed to be valid here.
                 // Some things definitely are:
@@ -1898,7 +1898,6 @@ impl<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> Parser<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> {
                 //   * new /obj()
                 //   * new /obj{name = "foo"}()
                 //   * new .relative/path()
-                //   * new some_list[0]()
                 //   * new various.field.accesses()
                 // But some things definitely aren't:
                 //   * new some_proc()() - first parens belong to the 'new'
@@ -1921,7 +1920,7 @@ impl<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> Parser<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> {
                 } else if let Some(ident) = self.ident()? {
                     let mut fields = Vec::new();
                     let mut belongs_to = vec![ident.clone()];
-                    while let Some(item) = self.index_or_field(&mut belongs_to, false)? {
+                    while let Some(item) = self.field(&mut belongs_to, false)? {
                         fields.push(item);
                     }
                     NewType::MiniExpr { ident, fields }
@@ -2163,17 +2162,9 @@ impl<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> Parser<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> {
     }
 
     // TODO: somehow fix the fact that this is basically copy-pasted from
-    // follow() above, except for the very end.
-    fn index_or_field(&mut self, belongs_to: &mut Vec<Ident>, in_ternary: bool) -> Status<IndexOrField> {
+    // follow() above.
+    fn field(&mut self, belongs_to: &mut Vec<Ident>, in_ternary: bool) -> Status<Field> {
         let kind = match self.next("field access")? {
-            // follow :: '[' expression ']'
-            Token::Punct(Punctuation::LBracket) => {
-                belongs_to.clear();
-                let expr = require!(self.expression());
-                require!(self.exact(Token::Punct(Punctuation::RBracket)));
-                return success(IndexOrField::Index(Box::new(expr)))
-            }
-
             // follow :: '.' ident
             // TODO: only apply these rules if there is no whitespace around the punctuation
             Token::Punct(Punctuation::Dot) => IndexKind::Dot,
@@ -2204,7 +2195,7 @@ impl<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> Parser<'ctx, 'an, 'inp> {
             self.annotate_precise(start..end, || Annotation::ScopedVar(belongs_to.clone(), ident.clone()));
             belongs_to.push(ident.clone());
         }
-        success(IndexOrField::Field(kind, ident))
+        success(Field { kind, ident })
     }
 
     /// a parenthesized, comma-separated list of expressions