Abstract Peralkaline to marginally metaluminous alkali-feldspar syenites and quartz alkali-feldspar syenites are hosted by subalkaline, ferroan rapakivi granites in the 1644 Ma Suomenniemi complex of southeastern Finland. These alkali syenites form NW-oriented dikes and small ( 99 and Or 90–100 Ab 0–10 ) and hypersolvus (Or 40–60 Ab 40–60 ) feldspar assemblages are present and display red luminescence characteristic of alkali feldspar recrystallized in the presence of an oxidizing fluid. In the marginally metaluminous syenites, primary magmatic hastingsite has been metasomatized to ferro-actinolite or decomposed to ferro-ferri-hornblende and magnetite. In some of the peralkaline syenites, primary hastingsite was replaced by magnetite and feldspars and has been overgrown by aegirine-augite and riebeckite. Sodic clinopyroxene (sodic augite–aegirine) is the most common and, in many cases, the only ferromagnesian silicate in these syenites. Three peralkaline alkali-feldspar syenites analyzed for zircon U-Pb and O isotopic compositions by single-grain SIMS have zircon 207 Pb/ 206 Pb ages of 1645 ± 5, 1642 ± 4 and 1644 ± 4 Ma, and zircon δ 18 O VSMOW values of 8.04 ± 0.18, 8.19 ± 0.17 and 8.26 ± 0.17‰. Whole-rock Nd isotope data imply an overall eNd(1644 Ma) value of ca. − 1.5 for the syenites. These ages and isotopic fingerprints are, within error, identical to those of the subalkaline granites of the complex. We propose that the Suomenniemi alkali-feldspar syenites are episyenites, formed as the result of pervasive local metasomatism of the subalkaline granites caused by high-temperature oxidizing peralkaline fluids. The process led to major geochemical changes, e.g., addition of Na, Al and Fe 3 + , depletion of Si and Fe 2 + , and partial to complete recrystallization of the granites along fluid pathways.