diff --git a/elab_expr.cc b/elab_expr.cc
index 588766ce6..8aa0ac696 100644
--- a/elab_expr.cc
+++ b/elab_expr.cc
@@ -4604,14 +4604,8 @@ NetExpr* PENewClass::elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
       int parm_errors = 0;
       for (size_t idx = 1 ; idx < parms.size() ; idx += 1) {
 	      // While there are default arguments, check them.
-	    if (idx <= parms_.size()) {
+	    if (idx <= parms_.size() && parms_[idx-1]) {
 		  PExpr*tmp = parms_[idx-1];
-		  if (tmp == 0) {
-			parms[idx] = 0;
-			missing_parms += 1;
-			continue;
-		  }
-
 		  parms[idx] = elaborate_rval_expr(des, scope, def->port(idx)->data_type(),
 						   def->port(idx)->vector_width(),
 						   tmp, false);
diff --git a/parse.y b/parse.y
index d415d5965..2e4ffc09e 100644
--- a/parse.y
+++ b/parse.y
@@ -167,6 +167,18 @@ template <class T> void append(vector<T>&out, const vector<T>&in)
 	    out.push_back(in[idx]);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Look at the list and pull null pointers off the end.
+ */
+static void strip_tail_items(list<PExpr*>*lst)
+{
+      while (lst->size() > 0) {
+	    if (lst->back() != 0)
+		  return;
+	    lst->pop_back();
+      }
+}
+
 /*
  * This is a shorthand for making a PECallFunction that takes a single
  * arg. This is used by some of the code that detects built-ins.
@@ -855,13 +867,10 @@ class_item_qualifier_opt
   ;
 
 class_new /* IEEE1800-2005 A.2.4 */
-  : K_new '(' ')'
-      { PENewClass*tmp = new PENewClass;
-	FILE_NAME(tmp, @1);
-	$$ = tmp;
-      }
-  | K_new '(' expression_list_proper ')'
-      { PENewClass*tmp = new PENewClass(*$3);
+  : K_new '(' expression_list_with_nuls ')'
+      { list<PExpr*>*expr_list = $3;
+	strip_tail_items(expr_list);
+	PENewClass*tmp = new PENewClass(*expr_list);
 	FILE_NAME(tmp, @1);
 	delete $3;
 	$$ = tmp;
@@ -3035,8 +3044,10 @@ expr_primary
      function call. If a system identifier, then a system function
      call. */
 
-  | hierarchy_identifier '(' expression_list_proper ')'
-      { PECallFunction*tmp = pform_make_call_function(@1, *$1, *$3);
+  | hierarchy_identifier '(' expression_list_with_nuls ')'
+      { list<PExpr*>*expr_list = $3;
+	strip_tail_items(expr_list);
+	PECallFunction*tmp = pform_make_call_function(@1, *$1, *expr_list);
 	delete $1;
 	$$ = tmp;
       }
@@ -3047,15 +3058,6 @@ expr_primary
 	delete[]$1;
 	$$ = tmp;
       }
-  | hierarchy_identifier '(' ')'
-      { const list<PExpr*> empty;
-	PECallFunction*tmp = pform_make_call_function(@1, *$1, empty);
-	delete $1;
-	$$ = tmp;
-	if (!gn_system_verilog()) {
-	      yyerror(@1, "error: Empty function argument list requires SystemVerilog.");
-	}
-      }
   | PACKAGE_IDENTIFIER K_SCOPE_RES IDENTIFIER '(' expression_list_proper ')'
       { perm_string use_name = lex_strings.make($3);
 	PECallFunction*tmp = new PECallFunction($1, use_name, *$5);
diff --git a/pform_dump.cc b/pform_dump.cc
index 17c01d653..967b772f1 100644
--- a/pform_dump.cc
+++ b/pform_dump.cc
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ void PENewClass::dump(ostream&out) const
 	    parms_[0]->dump(out);
 	    for (size_t idx = 1 ; idx < parms_.size() ; idx += 1) {
 		  out << ", ";
-		  parms_[idx]->dump(out);
+		  if (parms_[idx]) parms_[idx]->dump(out);
 	    }
       }
       out << ")";