diff --git a/src/normal.c b/src/normal.c
index cb8e736..1ef6509 100644
--- a/src/normal.c
+++ b/src/normal.c
@@ -3644,8 +3644,10 @@
 	    {
 		if (g_cmd)
 		    STRCPY(buf, "tj ");
+		else if (cap->count0 == 0)
+		    STRCPY(buf, "ta ");
 		else
-		    sprintf((char *)buf, "%ldta ", cap->count0);
+		    sprintf((char *)buf, ":%ldta ", cap->count0);
 	    }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_cmd.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_cmd.vim
index 9f4231a..9372d90 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_cmd.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_cmd.vim
@@ -295,5 +295,25 @@
   CheckScriptSuccess(['vim9script'] + lines)
 enddef
 
+def Test_normal_command()
+  new
+  setline(1, 'doesnotexist')
+  let caught = 0
+  try
+    exe "norm! \<C-]>"
+  catch /E433/
+    caught = 2
+  endtry
+  assert_equal(2, caught)
+
+  try
+    exe "norm! 3\<C-]>"
+  catch /E433/
+    caught = 3
+  endtry
+  assert_equal(3, caught)
+  bwipe!
+enddef
+
 
 " vim: ts=8 sw=2 sts=2 expandtab tw=80 fdm=marker
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 421e4a6..41e9188 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -755,6 +755,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1520,
+/**/
     1519,
 /**/
     1518,