diff --git a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/IdlModelLoader.java b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/IdlModelLoader.java
index 141db61b01c..db3ed62e71b 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/IdlModelLoader.java
+++ b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/IdlModelLoader.java
@@ -858,6 +858,10 @@ private void parseMember(LoadOperation.DefineShape operation, Set<String> define
         if (tokenizer.getCurrentToken() == IdlToken.RBRACE) {
             if (memberTraits.size() == 1
                     && memberTraits.get(0).getTraitType() == IdlTraitParser.TraitType.DOC_COMMENT) {
+                IdlTraitParser.Result danglingDocComment = memberTraits.get(0);
+                SourceLocation sourceLocation = danglingDocComment.getValue().getSourceLocation();
+                String value = danglingDocComment.getValue().toString();
+                emit(LoaderUtils.emitBadDocComment(sourceLocation, value));
                 return;
             }
         }
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.errors b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.errors
index 7c4750454de..56aced838bb 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.errors
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.errors
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
 [WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 3 (before use) | Model.BadDocumentationComment
 [WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 4 (inside trait)\nInvalid 5 (not before traits)\nValid docs for Foo | Model.BadDocumentationComment
 [WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 6 (not before traits)\nInvalid 7 (inside shape line)\nInvalid 8 (dangling) | Model.BadDocumentationComment
-[WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 9 (dangling) | Model.BadDocumentationComment
+[WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 9 (not before traits)\nInvalid 10 (dangling) | Model.BadDocumentationComment
+[WARNING] -: Found documentation comments ('///') attached to nothing. Documentation comments must appear on their own lines, directly before shapes and members, and before any traits. The invalid comments were: Invalid 11 (dangling) | Model.BadDocumentationComment
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.smithy b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.smithy
index 1ea993785ad..8d98ccefdf7 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.smithy
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/loader/detects-invalid-documentation-comments.smithy
@@ -24,4 +24,11 @@ map Foo
     /// Invalid 8 (dangling)
 }
 
-/// Invalid 9 (dangling)
+structure Bar {
+    @required
+    /// Invalid 9 (not before traits)
+    baz: Boolean
+    /// Invalid 10 (dangling)
+}
+
+/// Invalid 11 (dangling)