diff --git a/src/dune_file.ml b/src/dune_file.ml
index 4c3b71e4..f202cf45 100644
--- a/src/dune_file.ml
+++ b/src/dune_file.ml
@@ -1485,18 +1485,19 @@ module Rule = struct
     }
 
   let ocamllex_jbuild =
-    enter
-      (if_list
-         ~then_:(
-           record
-             (let%map modules = field "modules" (list string)
-              and mode = Mode.field in
-              { modules; mode }))
-         ~else_:(
-           repeat string >>| fun modules ->
-           { modules
-           ; mode  = Standard
-           }))
+    peek_exn >>= function
+    | List (_, Atom (_, _) :: _) ->
+      enter (
+        repeat string >>| fun modules ->
+             { modules
+             ; mode  = Standard
+             }
+      )
+    | _ ->
+      record
+        (let%map modules = field "modules" (list string)
+         and mode = Mode.field in
+         { modules; mode })
 
   let ocamllex_dune =
     if_eos
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/ocamllex-jbuild/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/ocamllex-jbuild/run.t
index 75eaa6b7..5c26a28d 100644
--- a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/ocamllex-jbuild/run.t
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/ocamllex-jbuild/run.t
@@ -1,6 +1,2 @@
   $ dune exec ./foo.exe
-  File "jbuild", line 2, characters 3-10:
-   ((modules (foo))))
-     ^^^^^^^
-  Error: S-expression of the form (<name> <values>...) expected
-  [1]
+  foo