diff --git a/mypy/exprtotype.py b/mypy/exprtotype.py
index 1c9323be056d..9ec54ce44b67 100644
--- a/mypy/exprtotype.py
+++ b/mypy/exprtotype.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 from collections.abc import Callable
 
-from mypy.fastparse import parse_type_string
 from mypy.nodes import (
     MISSING_FALLBACK,
     BytesExpr,
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@
     get_member_expr_fullname,
 )
 from mypy.options import Options
+from mypy.parse import parse_type_string
 from mypy.types import (
     ANNOTATED_TYPE_NAMES,
     AnyType,
@@ -221,9 +221,9 @@ def expr_to_unanalyzed_type(
             column=expr.column,
         )
     elif isinstance(expr, StrExpr):
-        return parse_type_string(expr.value, "builtins.str", expr.line, expr.column)
+        return parse_type_string(expr, options)
     elif isinstance(expr, BytesExpr):
-        return parse_type_string(expr.value, "builtins.bytes", expr.line, expr.column)
+        return RawExpressionType(expr.value, "builtins.bytes", expr.line, expr.column)
     elif isinstance(expr, UnaryExpr):
         typ = expr_to_unanalyzed_type(
             expr.expr, options, allow_new_syntax, lookup_qualified=lookup_qualified
diff --git a/mypy/nativeparse.py b/mypy/nativeparse.py
index d45d8bbb0af7..00c3b0ff7e1b 100644
--- a/mypy/nativeparse.py
+++ b/mypy/nativeparse.py
@@ -254,6 +254,23 @@ def native_parse(
     return node, errors, ignores
 
 
+def native_parse_type_string(
+    expr_string: str, line: int, column: int, end_line: int, end_column: int, options: Options
+) -> ProperType:
+    """Try to parse a string literal as a type expression (i.e. resolve a forward reference).
+
+    If parsing fails, a RawExpressionType will be returned.
+    """
+    ast_bytes = ast_serialize.parse_type_string(
+        expr_string, (line, column, end_line, end_column), cache_version=5
+    )
+    state = State(options)
+    data = ReadBuffer(ast_bytes)
+    ret = read_type(state, data)
+    assert isinstance(ret, ProperType)
+    return ret
+
+
 def expect_end_tag(data: ReadBuffer) -> None:
     assert read_tag(data) == END_TAG
 
diff --git a/mypy/parse.py b/mypy/parse.py
index 47e2f95f0f30..f440be5d3d85 100644
--- a/mypy/parse.py
+++ b/mypy/parse.py
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@
 from mypy import errorcodes as codes
 from mypy.cache import read_int
 from mypy.errors import Errors
-from mypy.nodes import FileRawData, MypyFile, ParseError
+from mypy.nodes import FileRawData, MypyFile, ParseError, StrExpr
 from mypy.options import Options
+from mypy.types import ProperType
 
 
 def parse(
@@ -115,3 +116,20 @@ def report_parse_error(error: ParseError, errors: Errors) -> None:
         # Fallback to [syntax] for backwards compatibility.
         error_code = codes.error_codes.get(error_code) or codes.SYNTAX
     errors.report(error["line"], error["column"], message, blocker=is_blocker, code=error_code)
+
+
+def parse_type_string(expr: StrExpr, options: Options) -> ProperType:
+    if options.native_parser:
+        import mypy.nativeparse
+
+        return mypy.nativeparse.native_parse_type_string(
+            expr.value,
+            expr.line,
+            expr.column,
+            expr.end_line or expr.line,
+            expr.end_column or expr.column,
+            options,
+        )
+    import mypy.fastparse
+
+    return mypy.fastparse.parse_type_string(expr.value, "builtins.str", expr.line, expr.column)
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-literal.test b/test-data/unit/check-literal.test
index f795f1f5b354..595e4c7688d9 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-literal.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-literal.test
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ accepts_bytes(c_alias)
 [builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
 [out]
 
-[case testLiteralMixingUnicodeAndBytesPython3ForwardStrings_no_native_parse]
+[case testLiteralMixingUnicodeAndBytesPython3ForwardStrings]
 from typing import Literal, TypeVar, Generic
 
 a_unicode_wrapper: u"Literal[u'foo']"
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ a_str_wrapper: "Literal[u'foo']"
 b_str_wrapper: "Literal['foo']"
 c_str_wrapper: "Literal[b'foo']"
 
-# In Python 3, forward references MUST be str, not bytes
+# In Python 3, forward references MUST be str, not bytes.
 a_bytes_wrapper: b"Literal[u'foo']"  # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
 b_bytes_wrapper: b"Literal['foo']"   # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
 c_bytes_wrapper: b"Literal[b'foo']"  # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
@@ -265,9 +265,10 @@ a_str_wrapper_alias: AStrWrapperAlias
 b_str_wrapper_alias: BStrWrapperAlias
 c_str_wrapper_alias: CStrWrapperAlias
 
-ABytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal[u'foo']"]
-BBytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal['foo']"]
-CBytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal[b'foo']"]
+# Bytes literals are not valid as forward references.
+ABytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal[u'foo']"]  # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
+BBytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal['foo']"]   # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
+CBytesWrapperAlias = Wrap[b"Literal[b'foo']"]  # E: Invalid type comment or annotation
 a_bytes_wrapper_alias: ABytesWrapperAlias
 b_bytes_wrapper_alias: BBytesWrapperAlias
 c_bytes_wrapper_alias: CBytesWrapperAlias
@@ -282,9 +283,9 @@ reveal_type(a_str_wrapper_alias)      # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Liter
 reveal_type(b_str_wrapper_alias)      # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Literal['foo']]"
 reveal_type(c_str_wrapper_alias)      # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Literal[b'foo']]"
 
-reveal_type(a_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Literal['foo']]"
-reveal_type(b_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Literal['foo']]"
-reveal_type(c_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Literal[b'foo']]"
+reveal_type(a_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Any]"
+reveal_type(b_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Any]"
+reveal_type(c_bytes_wrapper_alias)    # N: Revealed type is "__main__.Wrap[Any]"
 [builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
 [out]