diff --git a/Lib/test/test_parser.py b/Lib/test/test_parser.py
index 020acd5..2b50fca 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_parser.py
@@ -614,6 +614,13 @@
 
     # XXX tests for pickling and unpickling of ST objects should go here
 
+class OtherParserCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_two_args_to_expr(self):
+        # See bug #12264
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            parser.expr("a", "b")
+
 
 def test_main():
     support.run_unittest(
@@ -622,6 +629,7 @@
         CompileTestCase,
         ParserStackLimitTestCase,
         STObjectTestCase,
+        OtherParserCase,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/Modules/parsermodule.c b/Modules/parsermodule.c
index e5b4e55..1ffa896 100644
--- a/Modules/parsermodule.c
+++ b/Modules/parsermodule.c
@@ -581,10 +581,11 @@
             if (res)
                 ((PyST_Object *)res)->st_flags.cf_flags = flags & PyCF_MASK;
         }
-        else
+        else {
             PyParser_SetError(&err);
+            PyParser_ClearError(&err);
+        }
     }
-    PyParser_ClearError(&err);
     return (res);
 }