diff --git a/include/fmt/chrono.h b/include/fmt/chrono.h
index a40576a1..7839c75d 100644
--- a/include/fmt/chrono.h
+++ b/include/fmt/chrono.h
@@ -2020,10 +2020,6 @@ struct formatter<std::chrono::duration<Rep, Period>, Char> {
     }
 
     void on_error(const char* msg) { FMT_THROW(format_error(msg)); }
-    FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_fill(basic_string_view<Char> fill) {
-      f.specs.fill = fill;
-    }
-    FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_align(align_t align) { f.specs.align = align; }
     FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_width(int width) { f.specs.width = width; }
     FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_precision(int _precision) {
       f.precision = _precision;
@@ -2048,8 +2044,11 @@ struct formatter<std::chrono::duration<Rep, Period>, Char> {
   FMT_CONSTEXPR parse_range do_parse(basic_format_parse_context<Char>& ctx) {
     auto begin = ctx.begin(), end = ctx.end();
     if (begin == end || *begin == '}') return {begin, begin};
-    spec_handler handler{*this, ctx, format_str};
-    begin = detail::parse_align(begin, end, handler);
+    auto handler = spec_handler{*this, ctx, format_str};
+    auto result = detail::parse_align(begin, end);
+    begin = result.end;
+    specs.align = result.align;
+    if (result.fill.size() != 0) specs.fill = result.fill;
     if (begin == end) return {begin, begin};
     begin = detail::parse_width(begin, end, handler);
     if (begin == end) return {begin, begin};
diff --git a/include/fmt/core.h b/include/fmt/core.h
index 968466c2..7c775e95 100644
--- a/include/fmt/core.h
+++ b/include/fmt/core.h
@@ -2362,11 +2362,18 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_nonnegative_int(const Char*& begin, const Char* end,
              : error_value;
 }
 
-// Parses fill and alignment.
-template <typename Char, typename Handler>
-FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
-                               Handler&& handler) -> const Char* {
+template <typename Char> struct parse_align_result {
+  const Char* end;
+  basic_string_view<Char> fill;
+  align_t align;
+};
+
+// Parses [[fill]align].
+template <typename Char>
+FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end)
+    -> parse_align_result<Char> {
   FMT_ASSERT(begin != end, "");
+  auto fill = basic_string_view<Char>();
   auto align = align::none;
   auto p = begin + code_point_length(begin);
   if (end - p <= 0) p = begin;
@@ -2381,27 +2388,27 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
     case '^':
       align = align::center;
       break;
-    default:
-      break;
     }
     if (align != align::none) {
       if (p != begin) {
         auto c = *begin;
-        if (c == '{')
-          return handler.on_error("invalid fill character '{'"), begin;
-        if (c == '}') return begin;
-        handler.on_fill(basic_string_view<Char>(begin, to_unsigned(p - begin)));
+        if (c == '}') return {begin, {}, align::none};
+        if (c == '{') {
+          throw_format_error("invalid fill character '{'");
+          return {begin, {}, align::none};
+        }
+        fill = {begin, to_unsigned(p - begin)};
         begin = p + 1;
-      } else
+      } else {
         ++begin;
-      handler.on_align(align);
+      }
       break;
     } else if (p == begin) {
       break;
     }
     p = begin;
   }
-  return begin;
+  return {begin, fill, align};
 }
 
 template <typename Char> FMT_CONSTEXPR bool is_name_start(Char c) {
@@ -2581,7 +2588,12 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR FMT_INLINE auto parse_format_specs(const Char* begin,
 
   if (begin == end) return begin;
 
-  begin = parse_align(begin, end, handler);
+  auto result = parse_align(begin, end);
+  begin = result.end;
+  if (result.align != align::none) {
+    if (result.fill.size() != 0) handler.on_fill(result.fill);
+    handler.on_align(result.align);
+  }
   if (begin == end) return begin;
 
   // Parse sign.
diff --git a/test/core-test.cc b/test/core-test.cc
index 6d1309fe..da39a73c 100644
--- a/test/core-test.cc
+++ b/test/core-test.cc
@@ -586,7 +586,6 @@ TEST(core_test, constexpr_parse_format_specs) {
   static_assert(parse_test_specs(".42").precision == 42, "");
   static_assert(parse_test_specs(".{42}").precision_ref.val.index == 42, "");
   static_assert(parse_test_specs("d").type == fmt::presentation_type::dec, "");
-  static_assert(parse_test_specs("{<").res == handler::error, "");
 }
 
 struct test_parse_context {
@@ -652,7 +651,6 @@ TEST(format_test, constexpr_specs_checker) {
   static_assert(check_specs(".42").precision == 42, "");
   static_assert(check_specs(".{42}").precision_ref.val.index == 42, "");
   static_assert(check_specs("d").type == fmt::presentation_type::dec, "");
-  static_assert(check_specs("{<").res == handler::error, "");
 }
 
 struct test_format_string_handler {
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index 69e2c4d6..4362c805 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -2214,7 +2214,6 @@ TEST(format_test, format_string_errors) {
   EXPECT_ERROR("{0:s", "unknown format specifier", date);
 #  if !FMT_MSC_VERSION || FMT_MSC_VERSION >= 1916
   // This causes an detail compiler error in MSVC2017.
-  EXPECT_ERROR("{:{<}", "invalid fill character '{'", int);
   EXPECT_ERROR("{:10000000000}", "number is too big", int);
   EXPECT_ERROR("{:.10000000000}", "number is too big", int);
   EXPECT_ERROR_NOARGS("{:x}", "argument not found");