diff --git a/src/evalvars.c b/src/evalvars.c
index 260c297..40e643b 100644
--- a/src/evalvars.c
+++ b/src/evalvars.c
@@ -754,12 +754,14 @@
     void
 ex_var(exarg_T *eap)
 {
+    char_u *p = eap->cmd;
+
     if (!in_vim9script())
     {
 	semsg(_(e_str_cannot_be_used_in_legacy_vim_script), ":var");
 	return;
     }
-    if (current_sctx.sc_sid == 0)
+    if (current_sctx.sc_sid == 0 && checkforcmd_noparen(&p, "var", 3))
     {
 	emsg(_(e_cannot_declare_variable_on_command_line));
 	return;
diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration_1.dump
similarity index 100%
rename from src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration.dump
rename to src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration_1.dump
diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration_2.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration_2.dump
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6d516c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_vim9_reject_declaration_2.dump
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+> +0&#ffffff0@74
+|~+0#4040ff13&| @73
+|~| @73
+|~| @73
+|~| @73
+|1+0#0000000&|2|3| @53|0|,|0|-|1| @8|A|l@1| 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_script.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_script.vim
index 70a3ffb..f60fb36 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_script.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_script.vim
@@ -3365,7 +3365,10 @@
 def Run_test_reject_declaration()
   var buf = g:RunVimInTerminal('', {'rows': 6})
   term_sendkeys(buf, ":vim9cmd var x: number\<CR>")
-  g:VerifyScreenDump(buf, 'Test_vim9_reject_declaration', {})
+  g:VerifyScreenDump(buf, 'Test_vim9_reject_declaration_1', {})
+  term_sendkeys(buf, ":\<CR>")
+  term_sendkeys(buf, ":vim9cmd g:foo = 123 | echo g:foo\<CR>")
+  g:VerifyScreenDump(buf, 'Test_vim9_reject_declaration_2', {})
 
   # clean up
   g:StopVimInTerminal(buf)
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 2e22a77..5bbd307 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -755,6 +755,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    4508,
+/**/
     4507,
 /**/
     4506,