diff --git a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/checkers/ExternalFunChecker.kt b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/checkers/ExternalFunChecker.kt
index c1b7a221c2ac992cc7740e1102945d559c00060a..f863e7643e38f8f304e8b54f0f61f54208482896 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/checkers/ExternalFunChecker.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/checkers/ExternalFunChecker.kt
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtDeclaration
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtDeclarationWithBody
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtPropertyAccessor
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.DescriptorUtils
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.checkers.DeclarationCheckerContext
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.checkers.DeclarationChecker
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.checkers.DeclarationCheckerContext
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.inline.InlineUtil
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.jvm.diagnostics.ErrorsJvm
 
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ class ExternalFunChecker : DeclarationChecker {
                 is ClassDescriptor -> "class"
                 else -> "non-function declaration"
             }
-            trace.report(Errors.WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET.on(declaration, KtTokens.EXTERNAL_KEYWORD, target))
+            declaration.modifierList?.getModifier(KtTokens.EXTERNAL_KEYWORD)?.let {
+                trace.report(Errors.WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET.on(it, KtTokens.EXTERNAL_KEYWORD, target))
+            }
             return
         }
 
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/testsWithStdLib/native/nonFunction.kt b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/testsWithStdLib/native/nonFunction.kt
index d6d31540478c412c46905a568924c1be8c699ff2..60590cbd4580931dcc86b6d748e9e62bdbef1578 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/testsWithStdLib/native/nonFunction.kt
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/testsWithStdLib/native/nonFunction.kt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-<!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external class A<!>
+<!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external<!> class A
 
-<!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external val foo: Int = 23<!>
+<!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external<!> val foo: Int = 23
 
 class B {
-    <!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external class A<!>
+    <!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external<!> class A
 
-    <!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external val foo: Int = 23<!>
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    <!WRONG_MODIFIER_TARGET!>external<!> val foo: Int = 23
+}
diff --git a/idea/idea-fir/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/HighLevelQuickFixTestGenerated.java b/idea/idea-fir/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/HighLevelQuickFixTestGenerated.java
index c61e1d6eca93c12d2db70cdbb32c3b802fc8a8f9..2c59755eaef1f1ea598b0e1c19cb049d4b81cecb 100644
--- a/idea/idea-fir/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/HighLevelQuickFixTestGenerated.java
+++ b/idea/idea-fir/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/HighLevelQuickFixTestGenerated.java
@@ -650,6 +650,11 @@ public class HighLevelQuickFixTestGenerated extends AbstractHighLevelQuickFixTes
             runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeConst.kt");
         }
 
+        @TestMetadata("removeExternalModifier.kt")
+        public void testRemoveExternalModifier() throws Exception {
+            runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt");
+        }
+
         @TestMetadata("removeIncompatibleModifier.kt")
         public void testRemoveIncompatibleModifier() throws Exception {
             runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeIncompatibleModifier.kt");
diff --git a/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt b/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4281aac13ccc2adf332d9c2b55012c632aaffcd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// "Remove 'external' modifier" "true"
+
+class B {
+    <caret>external val foo: Int = 23
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt.after b/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt.after
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..67e909ab0abacdad09aed1fdfaf06dab644ecb08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt.after
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// "Remove 'external' modifier" "true"
+
+class B {
+    val foo: Int = 23
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/QuickFixTestGenerated.java b/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/QuickFixTestGenerated.java
index 3831e252bd16778f0781c686c1f978d0659fd177..8455ad864edf255e1d4c328c5ec8779c8bd8b2f2 100644
--- a/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/QuickFixTestGenerated.java
+++ b/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/quickfix/QuickFixTestGenerated.java
@@ -9432,6 +9432,11 @@ public class QuickFixTestGenerated extends AbstractQuickFixTest {
             runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeConst.kt");
         }
 
+        @TestMetadata("removeExternalModifier.kt")
+        public void testRemoveExternalModifier() throws Exception {
+            runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeExternalModifier.kt");
+        }
+
         @TestMetadata("removeIncompatibleModifier.kt")
         public void testRemoveIncompatibleModifier() throws Exception {
             runTest("idea/testData/quickfix/modifiers/removeIncompatibleModifier.kt");