diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
index 7058a9c4ab6d..abef17a54e23 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
@@ -184,9 +184,10 @@ private sealed trait WarningSettings:
       ChoiceWithHelp("linted", "Enable -Wunused:imports,privates,locals,implicits"),
       ChoiceWithHelp(
         name = "strict-no-implicit-warn",
-        description = "Same as -Wunused:import, only for imports of explicit named members.\n" +
-        "NOTE : This overrides -Wunused:imports and NOT set by -Wunused:all"
+        description = """Same as -Wunused:imports, only for imports of explicit named members.
+                        |NOTE : This overrides -Wunused:imports and NOT set by -Wunused:all""".stripMargin
       ),
+      ChoiceWithHelp("unsafe-warn-patvars", "Deprecated alias for `patvars`"),
     ),
     default = Nil
   )
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ private sealed trait WarningSettings:
     def params(using Context) = allOr("params")
     def privates(using Context) =
       allOr("privates") || allOr("linted")
-    def patvars(using Context) = allOr("patvars")
+    def patvars(using Context) = allOr("patvars") || isChoiceSet("unsafe-warn-patvars")
     def inlined(using Context) = isChoiceSet("inlined")
     def linted(using Context) =
       allOr("linted")
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/CheckUnused.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/CheckUnused.scala
index 0a1058782447..03accbdfeb5c 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/CheckUnused.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/CheckUnused.scala
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ class CheckUnused private (phaseMode: PhaseMode, suffix: String) extends MiniPha
   // import x.y; y may be rewritten x.y, also import x.z as y
   override def transformSelect(tree: Select)(using Context): tree.type =
     val name = tree.removeAttachment(OriginalName).getOrElse(nme.NO_NAME)
-    if tree.span.isSynthetic && tree.symbol == defn.TypeTest_unapply then
+    if tree.srcPos.isSynthetic && tree.symbol == defn.TypeTest_unapply then
       tree.qualifier.tpe.underlying.finalResultType match
       case AppliedType(_, args) => // tycon.typeSymbol == defn.TypeTestClass
         val res = args(1) // T in TypeTest[-S, T]
         val target = res.dealias.typeSymbol
         resolveUsage(target, target.name, res.importPrefix.skipPackageObject) // case _: T =>
       case _ =>
-    else if tree.qualifier.span.isSynthetic || name.exists(_ != tree.symbol.name) then
+    else if tree.qualifier.srcPos.isSynthetic || name.exists(_ != tree.symbol.name) then
       if !ignoreTree(tree) then
         resolveUsage(tree.symbol, name, tree.qualifier.tpe)
     else
@@ -598,12 +598,12 @@ object CheckUnused:
         warnAt(pos)(UnusedSymbol.localDefs)
 
     def checkPatvars() =
-      // convert the one non-synthetic span so all are comparable
+      // convert the one non-synthetic span so all are comparable; filter NoSpan below
       def uniformPos(sym: Symbol, pos: SrcPos): SrcPos =
         if pos.span.isSynthetic then pos else pos.sourcePos.withSpan(pos.span.toSynthetic)
       // patvars in for comprehensions share the pos of where the name was introduced
       val byPos = infos.pats.groupMap(uniformPos(_, _))((sym, pos) => sym)
-      for (pos, syms) <- byPos if !syms.exists(_.hasAnnotation(defn.UnusedAnnot)) do
+      for (pos, syms) <- byPos if pos.span.exists && !syms.exists(_.hasAnnotation(defn.UnusedAnnot)) do
         if !syms.exists(infos.refs(_)) then
           if !syms.exists(v => !v.isLocal && !v.is(Private)) then
             warnAt(pos)(UnusedSymbol.patVars)
@@ -664,7 +664,10 @@ object CheckUnused:
           val selector = textAt(sel.srcPos)  // keep original
           s"$qual.$selector"                 // don't succumb to vagaries of show
         // begin actionable
-        val sortedImps = infos.imps.keySet.nn.asScala.toArray.sortBy(_.srcPos.span.point) // sorted by pos
+        val sortedImps = infos.imps.keySet.nn.asScala
+                         .filter(_.srcPos.span.exists) // extra caution
+                         .toArray
+                         .sortBy(_.srcPos.span.point) // sorted by pos, not sort in place
         var index = 0
         while index < sortedImps.length do
           val nextImport = sortedImps.indexSatisfying(from = index + 1)(_.isPrimaryClause) // next import statement
@@ -763,7 +766,11 @@ object CheckUnused:
     if ctx.settings.WunusedHas.imports || ctx.settings.WunusedHas.strictNoImplicitWarn then
       checkImports()
 
-    warnings.result().sortBy(_._2.span.point)
+    def sortOrder(msgInfo: MessageInfo): Int =
+      val srcPos = msgInfo._2
+      if srcPos.span.exists then srcPos.span.point else 0
+
+    warnings.result().sortBy(sortOrder)
   end warnings
 
   // Specific exclusions
@@ -880,8 +887,7 @@ object CheckUnused:
   extension (imp: Import)
     /** Is it the first import clause in a statement? `a.x` in `import a.x, b.{y, z}` */
     def isPrimaryClause(using Context): Boolean =
-      val span = imp.srcPos.span
-      span.start != span.point // primary clause starts at `import` keyword
+      imp.srcPos.span.pointDelta > 0 // primary clause starts at `import` keyword with point at clause proper
 
     /** Generated import of cases from enum companion. */
     def isGeneratedByEnum(using Context): Boolean =
@@ -903,7 +909,8 @@ object CheckUnused:
       else imp.expr.tpe.member(sel.name.toTermName).hasAltWith(_.symbol.isCanEqual)
 
   extension (pos: SrcPos)
-    def isZeroExtentSynthetic: Boolean = pos.span.isSynthetic && pos.span.start == pos.span.end
+    def isZeroExtentSynthetic: Boolean = pos.span.isSynthetic && pos.span.isZeroExtent
+    def isSynthetic: Boolean = pos.span.isSynthetic && pos.span.exists
 
   extension [A <: AnyRef](arr: Array[A])
     // returns `until` if not satisfied