diff --git a/src/julia-parser.scm b/src/julia-parser.scm
index 9699a91a89c47..74f5aade494ee 100644
--- a/src/julia-parser.scm
+++ b/src/julia-parser.scm
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@
                        #f
                        finalb)
                  (let* ((var (parse-eq* s))
-                        (var? (and (not nl) (symbol? var)))
+                        (var? (and (not nl) (or (symbol? var) (and (length= var 2) (eq? (car var) '$)))))
                         (catch-block (if (eq? (require-token s) 'finally)
                                          '(block)
                                          (parse-block s))))
diff --git a/test/parser.jl b/test/parser.jl
index f7ad510b36a5f..674cd1d706315 100644
--- a/test/parser.jl
+++ b/test/parser.jl
@@ -10,3 +10,15 @@ let
         @test ex1.args[3] === :x && (ex1.args[3] === ex2.args[3])
     end
 end
+
+# issue #9704
+let a = :a
+    @test :(try
+            catch $a
+            end) == :(try
+                      catch a
+                      end)
+    @test :(module $a
+            end) == :(module a
+                      end)
+end