diff --git a/src/julia-parser.scm b/src/julia-parser.scm
index fece65ee370d2c..eec62a34457236 100644
--- a/src/julia-parser.scm
+++ b/src/julia-parser.scm
@@ -528,6 +528,10 @@
    (begin0 (ts:last-tok s)
            (ts:set-tok! s #f))))
 
+(define (no-space-before-next-token? s)
+  (let ((t (peek-token s)))
+    (not (or (ts:space? s) (newline? t)))))
+
 ;; --- misc ---
 
 (define (syntax-deprecation s what instead)
@@ -701,7 +705,7 @@
             ((and range-colon-enabled (eq? t ':))
              (take-token s)
              (if (and space-sensitive spc
-                      (or (peek-token s) #t) (not (ts:space? s)))
+                      (no-space-before-next-token? s))
                  ;; "a :b" in space sensitive mode
                  (begin (ts:put-back! s ':)
                         ex)
@@ -749,7 +753,7 @@
         (begin (take-token s)
                (if (eq? t '~)
                    (if (and space-sensitive (ts:space? s)
-                            (not (eqv? (peek-char (ts:port s)) #\ )))
+                            (no-space-before-next-token? s))
                        (begin (ts:put-back! s t)
                               ex)
                        (let ((args (parse-chain s down '~)))
@@ -785,7 +789,7 @@
           (begin
             (take-token s)
             (cond ((and space-sensitive spc (memq t unary-and-binary-ops)
-                        (not (eqv? (peek-char (ts:port s)) #\ )))
+                        (no-space-before-next-token? s))
                    ;; here we have "x -y"
                    (ts:put-back! s t)
                    (reverse! chain))
@@ -803,7 +807,7 @@
           (begin
             (take-token s)
             (cond ((and space-sensitive spc (memq t unary-and-binary-ops)
-                        (not (eqv? (peek-char (ts:port s)) #\ )))
+                        (no-space-before-next-token? s))
                    ;; here we have "x -y"
                    (ts:put-back! s t)
                    ex)
diff --git a/test/parse.jl b/test/parse.jl
index 8b25df99b53659..db17839dea0637 100644
--- a/test/parse.jl
+++ b/test/parse.jl
@@ -933,3 +933,24 @@ end
 # a :block for its body
 short_where_call = :(f(x::T) where T = T)
 @test short_where_call.args[2].head == :block
+
+# issue #16594
+@test length(:(@test 1 +
+                     1 == 2).args) == 2
+@test [1 +
+       1] == [2]
+@test [1 +1] == [1 1]
+@test length(:(@x 1 +1 -1).args) == 4
+@test length(:(@x 1 + 1 -1).args) == 3
+@test length(:(@x 1 + 1 - 1).args) == 2
+@test length(:(@x 1 +
+                  1 -
+                  1).args) == 2
+@test length(:(@x 1 +
+                  1 +
+                  1).args) == 2
+@test length(:([x .+
+                y]).args) == 1
+
+# line break in : expression disallowed
+@test_throws ParseError parse("[1 :\n2] == [1:2]""")