diff --git a/src/nvim/eval.lua b/src/nvim/eval.lua
index 328f46443f..e72bb7b870 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval.lua
+++ b/src/nvim/eval.lua
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ return {
     pathshorten={args=1},
     pow={args=2},
     prevnonblank={args=1},
-    printf={args=varargs(2)},
+    printf={args=varargs(1)},
     pumvisible={},
     py3eval={args=1},
     pyeval={args=1},
diff --git a/src/nvim/testdir/test_expr.vim b/src/nvim/testdir/test_expr.vim
index ad967c528c..aaf32dff04 100644
--- a/src/nvim/testdir/test_expr.vim
+++ b/src/nvim/testdir/test_expr.vim
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ function Test_printf_spec_s()
 endfunc
 
 function Test_printf_misc()
+  call assert_equal('123', printf('123'))
+  call assert_fails("call printf('123', 3)", "E767:")
+
   call assert_equal('123', printf('%d', 123))
   call assert_equal('123', printf('%i', 123))
   call assert_equal('123', printf('%D', 123))