diff --git a/runtime/doc/api.txt b/runtime/doc/api.txt
index f28a374280..03cc159e79 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/api.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/api.txt
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ nvim_echo({chunks}, {history}, {opts})                           *nvim_echo()*
         Since: 0.5.0
 
     Parameters: ~
-      • {chunks}   (`[string, integer|string][]`) List of `[text, hl_group]`
+      • {chunks}   (`[string, integer|string?][]`) List of `[text, hl_group]`
                    pairs, where each is a `text` string highlighted by the
                    (optional) name or ID `hl_group`.
       • {history}  (`boolean`) if true, add to |message-history|.
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/api.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/api.lua
index b544ce4aa8..71d188921a 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/api.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/api.lua
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ function vim.api.nvim_del_var(name) end
 --- vim.api.nvim_echo({ { 'chunk1-line1\nchunk1-line2\n' }, { 'chunk2-line1' } }, true, {})
 --- ```
 ---
---- @param chunks [string, integer|string][] List of `[text, hl_group]` pairs, where each is a `text` string highlighted by
+--- @param chunks [string, integer|string?][] List of `[text, hl_group]` pairs, where each is a `text` string highlighted by
 --- the (optional) name or ID `hl_group`.
 --- @param history boolean if true, add to `message-history`.
 --- @param opts vim.api.keyset.echo_opts Optional parameters.
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c b/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
index e303a23ee5..4e39d304d0 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
@@ -770,14 +770,14 @@ char *api_typename(ObjectType t)
   UNREACHABLE;
 }
 
-HlMessage parse_hl_msg(Array chunks, bool is_err, Error *err)
+HlMessage parse_hl_msg(ArrayOf(Tuple(String, *HLGroupID)) chunks, bool is_err, Error *err)
 {
   HlMessage hl_msg = KV_INITIAL_VALUE;
   for (size_t i = 0; i < chunks.size; i++) {
     VALIDATE_T("chunk", kObjectTypeArray, chunks.items[i].type, {
       goto free_exit;
     });
-    Array chunk = chunks.items[i].data.array;
+    Tuple(String, *HLGroupID) chunk = chunks.items[i].data.array;
     VALIDATE((chunk.size > 0 && chunk.size <= 2 && chunk.items[0].type == kObjectTypeString),
              "%s", "Invalid chunk: expected Array with 1 or 2 Strings", {
       goto free_exit;
@@ -785,10 +785,10 @@ HlMessage parse_hl_msg(Array chunks, bool is_err, Error *err)
 
     String str = copy_string(chunk.items[0].data.string, NULL);
 
-    int hl_id = is_err ? HLF_E : 0;
-    if (chunk.size == 2) {
-      hl_id = object_to_hl_id(chunk.items[1], "text highlight", err);
-    }
+    int hl_id =
+      chunk.size == 2 ? object_to_hl_id(chunk.items[1], "text highlight", err)
+                      : is_err ? HLF_E
+                               : 0;
     kv_push(hl_msg, ((HlMessageChunk){ .text = str, .hl_id = hl_id }));
   }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index 71b9a85b8d..697a18506a 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ void nvim_set_vvar(String name, Object value, Error *err)
 ///          - kind: Set the |ui-messages| kind with which this message will be emitted.
 ///          - verbose: Message is controlled by the 'verbose' option. Nvim invoked with `-V3log`
 ///            will write the message to the "log" file instead of standard output.
-void nvim_echo(ArrayOf(Tuple(String, HLGroupID)) chunks, Boolean history, Dict(echo_opts) *opts,
+void nvim_echo(ArrayOf(Tuple(String, *HLGroupID)) chunks, Boolean history, Dict(echo_opts) *opts,
                Error *err)
   FUNC_API_SINCE(7)
 {