diff --git a/dtc-parser.y b/dtc-parser.y
index 2407af4..43182fd 100644
--- a/dtc-parser.y
+++ b/dtc-parser.y
@@ -276,6 +276,11 @@ subnodes:
 		{
 			$$ = chain_node($1, $2);
 		}
+	| subnode propdef
+		{
+			yyerror("syntax error: properties must precede subnodes\n");
+			YYERROR;
+		}
 	;
 
 subnode:
diff --git a/tests/prop-after-subnode.dts b/tests/prop-after-subnode.dts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6dd0b66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/prop-after-subnode.dts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/dts-v1/;
+
+/ {
+	node1 {
+	};
+	prop;
+	node2 {
+	};
+};