diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
index 31d91fe80bd61..db795ce9f7236 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ use super::{StringReader, UnmatchedDelim};
 use rustc_ast::token::{self, Delimiter, Token};
 use rustc_ast::tokenstream::{DelimSpan, Spacing, TokenStream, TokenTree};
 use rustc_ast_pretty::pprust::token_to_string;
-use rustc_errors::PErr;
+use rustc_errors::{Applicability, PErr};
+use rustc_span::symbol::kw;
 
 pub(super) struct TokenTreesReader<'a> {
     string_reader: StringReader<'a>,
@@ -116,24 +117,8 @@ impl<'a> TokenTreesReader<'a> {
         // We stop at any delimiter so we can try to recover if the user
         // uses an incorrect delimiter.
         let (tts, res) = self.parse_token_trees(/* is_delimited */ true);
-        if let Err(mut errs) = res {
-            // If there are unclosed delims, see if there are diff markers and if so, point them
-            // out instead of complaining about the unclosed delims.
-            let mut parser = crate::stream_to_parser(self.string_reader.sess, tts, None);
-            let mut diff_errs = vec![];
-            while parser.token != token::Eof {
-                if let Err(diff_err) = parser.err_diff_marker() {
-                    diff_errs.push(diff_err);
-                }
-                parser.bump();
-            }
-            if !diff_errs.is_empty() {
-                errs.iter_mut().for_each(|err| {
-                    err.delay_as_bug();
-                });
-                return Err(diff_errs);
-            }
-            return Err(errs);
+        if let Err(errs) = res {
+            return Err(self.unclosed_delim_err(tts, errs));
         }
 
         // Expand to cover the entire delimited token tree
@@ -220,6 +205,62 @@ impl<'a> TokenTreesReader<'a> {
         Ok(TokenTree::Delimited(delim_span, open_delim, tts))
     }
 
+    fn unclosed_delim_err(&mut self, tts: TokenStream, mut errs: Vec<PErr<'a>>) -> Vec<PErr<'a>> {
+        // If there are unclosed delims, see if there are diff markers and if so, point them
+        // out instead of complaining about the unclosed delims.
+        let mut parser = crate::stream_to_parser(self.string_reader.sess, tts, None);
+        let mut diff_errs = vec![];
+        // Suggest removing a `{` we think appears in an `if`/`while` condition
+        // We want to suggest removing a `{` only if we think we're in an `if`/`while` condition, but
+        // we have no way of tracking this in the lexer itself, so we piggyback on the parser
+        let mut in_cond = false;
+        while parser.token != token::Eof {
+            if let Err(diff_err) = parser.err_diff_marker() {
+                diff_errs.push(diff_err);
+            } else if parser.is_keyword_ahead(0, &[kw::If, kw::While]) {
+                in_cond = true;
+            } else if matches!(
+                parser.token.kind,
+                token::CloseDelim(Delimiter::Brace) | token::FatArrow
+            ) {
+                // end of the `if`/`while` body, or the end of a `match` guard
+                in_cond = false;
+            } else if in_cond && parser.token == token::OpenDelim(Delimiter::Brace) {
+                // Store the `&&` and `let` to use their spans later when creating the diagnostic
+                let maybe_andand = parser.look_ahead(1, |t| t.clone());
+                let maybe_let = parser.look_ahead(2, |t| t.clone());
+                if maybe_andand == token::OpenDelim(Delimiter::Brace) {
+                    // This might be the beginning of the `if`/`while` body (i.e., the end of the condition)
+                    in_cond = false;
+                } else if maybe_andand == token::AndAnd && maybe_let.is_keyword(kw::Let) {
+                    let mut err = parser.struct_span_err(
+                        parser.token.span,
+                        "found a `{` in the middle of a let-chain",
+                    );
+                    err.span_suggestion(
+                        parser.token.span,
+                        "consider removing this brace to parse the `let` as part of the same chain",
+                        "",
+                        Applicability::MachineApplicable,
+                    );
+                    err.span_label(
+                        maybe_andand.span.to(maybe_let.span),
+                        "you might have meant to continue the let-chain here",
+                    );
+                    errs.push(err);
+                }
+            }
+            parser.bump();
+        }
+        if !diff_errs.is_empty() {
+            errs.iter_mut().for_each(|err| {
+                err.delay_as_bug();
+            });
+            return diff_errs;
+        }
+        return errs;
+    }
+
     fn close_delim_err(&mut self, delim: Delimiter) -> PErr<'a> {
         // An unexpected closing delimiter (i.e., there is no
         // matching opening delimiter).
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/mod.rs
index 1a7ae40691145..76f3f21a5164c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/parser/mod.rs
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Returns whether any of the given keywords are `dist` tokens ahead of the current one.
-    fn is_keyword_ahead(&self, dist: usize, kws: &[Symbol]) -> bool {
+    pub(crate) fn is_keyword_ahead(&self, dist: usize, kws: &[Symbol]) -> bool {
         self.look_ahead(dist, |t| kws.iter().any(|&kw| t.is_keyword(kw)))
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.rs b/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1f34c73a2c3bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// issue #117766
+
+#![feature(let_chains)]
+fn main() {
+    if let () = ()
+        && let () = () { //~ERROR: found a `{` in the middle of a let-chain
+        && let () = ()
+    {
+    }
+}
+
+fn quux() {
+    while let () = ()
+        && let () = () { //~ERROR: found a `{` in the middle of a let-chain
+        && let () = ()
+    {
+    }
+}
+
+fn foobar() {
+    while false {}
+    {
+        && let () = ()
+}
+
+fn fubar() {
+    while false {
+        {
+            && let () = ()
+    }
+}
+
+fn qux() {
+    let foo = false;
+    match foo {
+        _ if foo => {
+            && let () = ()
+        _ => {}
+    }
+}
+
+fn foo() {
+    {
+    && let () = ()
+}
+
+fn bar() {
+    if false {}
+    {
+        && let () = ()
+}
+
+fn baz() {
+    if false {
+        {
+            && let () = ()
+    }
+} //~ERROR: this file contains an unclosed delimiter
diff --git a/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.stderr b/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7182d86d001d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/parser/brace-in-let-chain.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+error: this file contains an unclosed delimiter
+  --> $DIR/brace-in-let-chain.rs:58:54
+   |
+LL | fn main() {
+   |           - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn quux() {
+   |           - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn foobar() {
+   |             - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn fubar() {
+   |            - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn qux() {
+   |          - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn foo() {
+   |          - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn bar() {
+   |          - unclosed delimiter
+...
+LL | fn baz() {
+   |          - unclosed delimiter
+LL |     if false {
+LL |         {
+   |         - this delimiter might not be properly closed...
+LL |             && let () = ()
+LL |     }
+   |     - ...as it matches this but it has different indentation
+LL | }
+   |                                                      ^
+
+error: found a `{` in the middle of a let-chain
+  --> $DIR/brace-in-let-chain.rs:14:24
+   |
+LL |         && let () = () {
+   |                        ^
+LL |         && let () = ()
+   |         ------ you might have meant to continue the let-chain here
+   |
+help: consider removing this brace to parse the `let` as part of the same chain
+   |
+LL -         && let () = () {
+LL +         && let () = ()
+   |
+
+error: found a `{` in the middle of a let-chain
+  --> $DIR/brace-in-let-chain.rs:6:24
+   |
+LL |         && let () = () {
+   |                        ^
+LL |         && let () = ()
+   |         ------ you might have meant to continue the let-chain here
+   |
+help: consider removing this brace to parse the `let` as part of the same chain
+   |
+LL -         && let () = () {
+LL +         && let () = ()
+   |
+
+error: aborting due to 3 previous errors
+