diff --git a/.github/workflows/bundle.yml b/.github/workflows/bundle.yml
index 276e679..0cdf3b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bundle.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bundle.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check
         run: |
           bash -n dist/steamify.sh
-          python3 -m py_compile ui/steamify-ui patches/*.py
+          python3 -c 'import ast, sys; [ast.parse(open(f).read(), f) for f in sys.argv[1:]]' ui/steamify-ui patches/*.py
 
       # shellcheck through an action that brings its own binary: GitHub's runner has it installed,
       # Gitea's act_runner image doesn't. One file per run, as before (the exceptions are the bundle's).
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1796693..8059190 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ check: syntax lint test bundle
 
 syntax:
 	@for f in $(SH); do bash -n "$$f" || exit 1; done
-	python3 -m py_compile ui/steamify-ui patches/*.py
+	python3 -c 'import ast, sys; [ast.parse(open(f).read(), f) for f in sys.argv[1:]]' ui/steamify-ui patches/*.py
 
 lint:
 	@command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck -S warning $(SH) || echo "shellcheck not installed: skipped"