diff --git a/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs b/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
index 5780967d54..1f69407eca 100644
--- a/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
+++ b/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::blankspace::{
     line_comment, space0_after_e, space0_around_ee, space0_before_e, space0_e, space1_e,
     spaces_exactly_e,
 };
-use crate::ident::{ident, lowercase_ident, Ident};
+use crate::ident::{lowercase_ident, parse_ident_help, Ident};
 use crate::keyword;
 use crate::parser::{
     self, allocated, and_then_with_indent_level, ascii_char, backtrackable, map, newline_char,
@@ -1967,11 +1967,11 @@ fn ident_then_args<'a>(
 }
 
 fn ident_without_apply_help<'a>() -> impl Parser<'a, Expr<'a>, EExpr<'a>> {
-    specialize_ref(
-        EExpr::Syntax,
-        then(loc!(ident()), move |arena, state, progress, loc_ident| {
+    then(
+        loc!(parse_ident_help),
+        move |arena, state, progress, loc_ident| {
             Ok((progress, ident_to_expr(arena, loc_ident.value), state))
-        }),
+        },
     )
 }
 
@@ -2163,7 +2163,7 @@ fn record_field_help<'a>(
 fn record_updateable_identifier<'a>() -> impl Parser<'a, Expr<'a>, ERecord<'a>> {
     specialize(
         |_, r, c| ERecord::Updateable(r, c),
-        map_with_arena!(ident(), ident_to_expr),
+        map_with_arena!(parse_ident_help, ident_to_expr),
     )
 }
 
diff --git a/compiler/parse/src/ident.rs b/compiler/parse/src/ident.rs
index bb3143b53d..d1819f7f36 100644
--- a/compiler/parse/src/ident.rs
+++ b/compiler/parse/src/ident.rs
@@ -61,11 +61,44 @@ impl<'a> Ident<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn ident<'a>() -> impl Parser<'a, Ident<'a>, SyntaxError<'a>> {
-    crate::parser::specialize(|e, _, _| SyntaxError::Expr(e), parse_ident_help)
+fn chomp_identifier<'a, F>(pred: F, buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<&str, Progress>
+where
+    F: Fn(char) -> bool,
+{
+    use encode_unicode::CharExt;
+
+    let mut chomped = 0;
+
+    match char::from_utf8_slice_start(&buffer[chomped..]) {
+        Ok((ch, width)) if pred(ch) => {
+            chomped += width;
+        }
+        _ => {
+            // no parse
+            return Err(Progress::NoProgress);
+        }
+    }
+
+    while let Ok((ch, width)) = char::from_utf8_slice_start(&buffer[chomped..]) {
+        // After the first character, only these are allowed:
+        //
+        // * Unicode alphabetic chars - you might include `鹏` if that's clear to your readers
+        // * ASCII digits - e.g. `1` but not `¾`, both of which pass .is_numeric()
+        // * A ':' indicating the end of the field
+        if ch.is_alphabetic() || ch.is_ascii_digit() {
+            chomped += width;
+        } else {
+            // we're done
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    let name = unsafe { std::str::from_utf8_unchecked(&buffer[..chomped]) };
+
+    Ok(name)
 }
 
-pub fn global_tag_or_ident<'a, F>(pred: F) -> impl Parser<'a, &'a str, SyntaxError<'a>>
+fn global_tag_or_ident<'a, F>(pred: F) -> impl Parser<'a, &'a str, SyntaxError<'a>>
 where
     F: Fn(char) -> bool,
 {
diff --git a/compiler/parse/src/pattern.rs b/compiler/parse/src/pattern.rs
index 5e073623d8..146940d790 100644
--- a/compiler/parse/src/pattern.rs
+++ b/compiler/parse/src/pattern.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::ast::Pattern;
 use crate::blankspace::{space0_around_ee, space0_before_e, space0_e};
-use crate::ident::{ident, lowercase_ident, Ident};
+use crate::ident::{lowercase_ident, parse_ident_help, Ident};
 use crate::parser::Progress::{self, *};
 use crate::parser::{
     backtrackable, optional, specialize, specialize_ref, word1, EPattern, PInParens, PRecord,
@@ -179,7 +179,8 @@ fn loc_ident_pattern_help<'a>(
         let original_state = state.clone();
 
         let (_, loc_ident, state) =
-            specialize(|_, r, c| EPattern::Start(r, c), loc!(ident())).parse(arena, state)?;
+            specialize(|_, r, c| EPattern::Start(r, c), loc!(parse_ident_help))
+                .parse(arena, state)?;
 
         match loc_ident.value {
             Ident::GlobalTag(tag) => {