diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index 2110867291..42c2cc3a24 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ typedef struct _compiler_t {
 
     uint8_t is_repl;
     uint8_t pass; // holds enum type pass_kind_t
-    uint8_t func_arg_is_super; // used to compile special case of super() function call
     uint8_t have_star;
 
     // try to keep compiler clean from nlr
@@ -762,7 +761,6 @@ STATIC qstr compile_classdef_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pn
     if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(parents, PN_classdef_2)) {
         parents = MP_PARSE_NODE_NULL;
     }
-    comp->func_arg_is_super = false;
     compile_trailer_paren_helper(comp, parents, false, 2);
 
     // return its name (the 'C' in class C(...):")
@@ -836,7 +834,6 @@ STATIC void compile_decorated(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
             // nodes[1] contains arguments to the decorator function, if any
             if (!MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns_decorator->nodes[1])) {
                 // call the decorator function with the arguments in nodes[1]
-                comp->func_arg_is_super = false;
                 compile_node(comp, pns_decorator->nodes[1]);
             }
         }
@@ -2175,10 +2172,74 @@ STATIC void compile_factor_2(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 }
 
 STATIC void compile_atom_expr_normal(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
-    // this is to handle special super() call
-    comp->func_arg_is_super = MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_ID(pns->nodes[0]) && MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns->nodes[0]) == MP_QSTR_super;
+    // compile the subject of the expression
+    compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[0]);
 
-    compile_generic_all_nodes(comp, pns);
+    // compile_atom_expr_await may call us with a NULL node
+    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns->nodes[1])) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // get the array of trailers (known to be an array of PARSE_NODE_STRUCT)
+    size_t num_trail = 1;
+    mp_parse_node_struct_t **pns_trail = (mp_parse_node_struct_t**)&pns->nodes[1];
+    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns_trail[0]) == PN_atom_expr_trailers) {
+        num_trail = MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns_trail[0]);
+        pns_trail = (mp_parse_node_struct_t**)&pns_trail[0]->nodes[0];
+    }
+
+    // the current index into the array of trailers
+    size_t i = 0;
+
+    // handle special super() call
+    if (comp->scope_cur->kind == SCOPE_FUNCTION
+        && MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_ID(pns->nodes[0])
+        && MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns->nodes[0]) == MP_QSTR_super
+        && MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns_trail[0]) == PN_trailer_paren
+        && MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns_trail[0]->nodes[0])) {
+        // at this point we have matched "super()" within a function
+
+        // load the class for super to search for a parent
+        compile_load_id(comp, MP_QSTR___class__);
+
+        // look for first argument to function (assumes it's "self")
+        bool found = false;
+        id_info_t *id = &comp->scope_cur->id_info[0];
+        for (size_t n = comp->scope_cur->id_info_len; n > 0; --n, ++id) {
+            if (id->flags & ID_FLAG_IS_PARAM) {
+                // first argument found; load it
+                compile_load_id(comp, id->qst);
+                found = true;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        if (!found) {
+            compile_syntax_error(comp, (mp_parse_node_t)pns_trail[0],
+                "super() can't find self"); // really a TypeError
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // a super() call
+        EMIT_ARG(call_function, 2, 0, 0);
+        i = 1;
+    }
+
+    // compile the remaining trailers
+    for (; i < num_trail; i++) {
+        if (i + 1 < num_trail
+            && MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns_trail[i]) == PN_trailer_period
+            && MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns_trail[i + 1]) == PN_trailer_paren) {
+            // optimisation for method calls a.f(...), following PyPy
+            mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns_period = pns_trail[i];
+            mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns_paren = pns_trail[i + 1];
+            EMIT_ARG(load_method, MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns_period->nodes[0]));
+            compile_trailer_paren_helper(comp, pns_paren->nodes[0], true, 0);
+            i += 1;
+        } else {
+            // node is one of: trailer_paren, trailer_bracket, trailer_period
+            compile_node(comp, (mp_parse_node_t)pns_trail[i]);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 STATIC void compile_power(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
@@ -2189,23 +2250,6 @@ STATIC void compile_power(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 STATIC void compile_trailer_paren_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn_arglist, bool is_method_call, int n_positional_extra) {
     // function to call is on top of stack
 
-    // this is to handle special super() call
-    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pn_arglist) && comp->func_arg_is_super && comp->scope_cur->kind == SCOPE_FUNCTION) {
-        compile_load_id(comp, MP_QSTR___class__);
-        // look for first argument to function (assumes it's "self")
-        for (int i = 0; i < comp->scope_cur->id_info_len; i++) {
-            id_info_t *id = &comp->scope_cur->id_info[i];
-            if (id->flags & ID_FLAG_IS_PARAM) {
-                // first argument found; load it and call super
-                compile_load_id(comp, id->qst);
-                EMIT_ARG(call_function, 2, 0, 0);
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-        compile_syntax_error(comp, MP_PARSE_NODE_NULL, "super() call cannot find self"); // really a TypeError
-        return;
-    }
-
     // get the list of arguments
     mp_parse_node_t *args;
     int n_args = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pn_arglist, PN_arglist, &args);
@@ -2285,23 +2329,6 @@ STATIC void compile_trailer_paren_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn_ar
     }
 }
 
-STATIC void compile_atom_expr_trailers(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
-    int num_nodes = MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns);
-    for (int i = 0; i < num_nodes; i++) {
-        if (i + 1 < num_nodes && MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(pns->nodes[i], PN_trailer_period) && MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(pns->nodes[i + 1], PN_trailer_paren)) {
-            // optimisation for method calls a.f(...), following PyPy
-            mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns_period = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns->nodes[i];
-            mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns_paren = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns->nodes[i + 1];
-            EMIT_ARG(load_method, MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns_period->nodes[0])); // get the method
-            compile_trailer_paren_helper(comp, pns_paren->nodes[0], true, 0);
-            i += 1;
-        } else {
-            compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[i]);
-        }
-        comp->func_arg_is_super = false;
-    }
-}
-
 // pns needs to have 2 nodes, first is lhs of comprehension, second is PN_comp_for node
 STATIC void compile_comprehension(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns, scope_kind_t kind) {
     assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns) == 2);
diff --git a/py/grammar.h b/py/grammar.h
index e8041c0e08..930d96dc15 100644
--- a/py/grammar.h
+++ b/py/grammar.h
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ DEF_RULE(atom_expr_await, c(atom_expr_await), and(3), tok(KW_AWAIT), rule(atom),
 DEF_RULE_NC(atom_expr, or(1), rule(atom_expr_normal))
 #endif
 DEF_RULE(atom_expr_normal, c(atom_expr_normal), and_ident(2), rule(atom), opt_rule(atom_expr_trailers))
-DEF_RULE(atom_expr_trailers, c(atom_expr_trailers), one_or_more, rule(trailer))
+DEF_RULE_NC(atom_expr_trailers, one_or_more, rule(trailer))
 DEF_RULE_NC(power_dbl_star, and_ident(2), tok(OP_DBL_STAR), rule(factor))
 
 // atom: '(' [yield_expr|testlist_comp] ')' | '[' [testlist_comp] ']' | '{' [dictorsetmaker] '}' | NAME | NUMBER | STRING+ | '...' | 'None' | 'True' | 'False'
diff --git a/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp b/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
index 17fecaf960..d9f81d8d4c 100644
--- a/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
+++ b/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
          tok(4)
 [   4]   rule(22) (n=4)
            id(i)
-[   4]     rule(45) (n=1)
+[   4]     rule(44) (n=1)
              NULL
 [   5]     rule(8) (n=0)
            NULL