diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index f242e74586..a857598c52 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -2546,7 +2546,16 @@ STATIC void compile_trailer_period(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns
 }
 
 #if MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SLICE
-STATIC void compile_subscript_3_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
+STATIC void compile_subscript(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
+    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns) == PN_subscript_2) {
+        compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[0]); // start of slice
+        assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT(pns->nodes[1])); // should always be
+        pns = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns->nodes[1];
+    } else {
+        // pns is a PN_subscript_3, load None for start of slice
+        EMIT_ARG(load_const_tok, MP_TOKEN_KW_NONE);
+    }
+
     assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns) == PN_subscript_3); // should always be
     mp_parse_node_t pn = pns->nodes[0];
     if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pn)) {
@@ -2590,17 +2599,6 @@ STATIC void compile_subscript_3_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t
         EMIT_ARG(build, 2, MP_EMIT_BUILD_SLICE);
     }
 }
-
-STATIC void compile_subscript_2(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
-    compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[0]); // start of slice
-    assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT(pns->nodes[1])); // should always be
-    compile_subscript_3_helper(comp, (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns->nodes[1]);
-}
-
-STATIC void compile_subscript_3(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
-    EMIT_ARG(load_const_tok, MP_TOKEN_KW_NONE);
-    compile_subscript_3_helper(comp, pns);
-}
 #endif // MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SLICE
 
 STATIC void compile_dictorsetmaker_item(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
diff --git a/py/grammar.h b/py/grammar.h
index ffedd2f8a7..bd0a20876d 100644
--- a/py/grammar.h
+++ b/py/grammar.h
@@ -290,8 +290,8 @@ DEF_RULE(trailer_period, c(trailer_period), and(2), tok(DEL_PERIOD), tok(NAME))
 #if MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SLICE
 DEF_RULE(subscriptlist, c(generic_tuple), list_with_end, rule(subscript), tok(DEL_COMMA))
 DEF_RULE_NC(subscript, or(2), rule(subscript_3), rule(subscript_2))
-DEF_RULE(subscript_2, c(subscript_2), and_ident(2), rule(test), opt_rule(subscript_3))
-DEF_RULE(subscript_3, c(subscript_3), and(2), tok(DEL_COLON), opt_rule(subscript_3b))
+DEF_RULE(subscript_2, c(subscript), and_ident(2), rule(test), opt_rule(subscript_3))
+DEF_RULE(subscript_3, c(subscript), and(2), tok(DEL_COLON), opt_rule(subscript_3b))
 DEF_RULE_NC(subscript_3b, or(2), rule(subscript_3c), rule(subscript_3d))
 DEF_RULE_NC(subscript_3c, and(2), tok(DEL_COLON), opt_rule(test))
 DEF_RULE_NC(subscript_3d, and_ident(2), rule(test), opt_rule(sliceop))