diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index 7251af77dcc7..eae558f002a4 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -2036,19 +2036,12 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
 
     /// Parse single lifetime 'a or panic.
     pub fn expect_lifetime(&mut self) -> Lifetime {
-        let lifetime = match self.token {
-            token::Lifetime(ident) =>
-                Lifetime { ident: ident, span: self.span, id: ast::DUMMY_NODE_ID },
-            token::Interpolated(ref nt) => match nt.0 {
-                token::NtLifetime(lifetime) =>
-                    lifetime,
-                _ => self.span_bug(self.span, "not a lifetime")
-            }
-            _ => self.span_bug(self.span, "not a lifetime")
-        };
-
-        self.bump();
-        lifetime
+        if let Some(lifetime) = self.token.lifetime(self.span) {
+            self.bump();
+            lifetime
+        } else {
+            self.span_bug(self.span, "not a lifetime")
+        }
     }
 
     /// Parse mutability (`mut` or nothing).
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
index 2d7ab938f7bb..bd4f7f9853d7 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
@@ -314,16 +314,24 @@ impl Token {
         false
     }
 
+    /// Returns a lifetime with the span and a dummy id if it is a lifetime,
+    /// or the original lifetime if it is an interpolated lifetime, ignoring
+    /// the span.
+    pub fn lifetime(&self, span: Span) -> Option<ast::Lifetime> {
+        match *self {
+            Lifetime(ident) =>
+                Some(ast::Lifetime { ident: ident, span: span, id: ast::DUMMY_NODE_ID }),
+            Interpolated(ref nt) => match nt.0 {
+                NtLifetime(lifetime) => Some(lifetime),
+                _ => None,
+            },
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Returns `true` if the token is a lifetime.
     pub fn is_lifetime(&self) -> bool {
-        match *self {
-            Lifetime(..) => true,
-            Interpolated(ref nt) => match nt.0 {
-                NtLifetime(..) => true,
-                _ => false,
-            },
-            _ => false,
-        }
+        self.lifetime(syntax_pos::DUMMY_SP).is_some()
     }
 
     /// Returns `true` if the token is either the `mut` or `const` keyword.