diff --git a/nasal_err.h b/nasal_err.h
index 87b5da0..4107433 100644
--- a/nasal_err.h
+++ b/nasal_err.h
@@ -48,11 +48,16 @@ public:
     void err(const char* stage,const std::string& info)
     {
         ++error;
-        std::cout<<"["<<stage<<"] "<<info<<'\n';
+        std::cout<<"["<<stage<<"] "<<file<<": "<<info<<'\n';
     }
     void err(const char* stage,uint32_t line,uint32_t column,const std::string& info)
     {
         ++error;
+        if(!line)
+        {
+            err(stage,info);
+            return;
+        }
         std::cout<<"["<<stage<<"] "<<file<<":"<<line<<":"<<column<<" "<<info<<"\n"<<res[line-1]<<'\n';
         for(int i=0;i<(int)column-1;++i)
             std::cout<<char(" \t"[res[line-1][i]=='\t']);
@@ -61,6 +66,11 @@ public:
     void err(const char* stage,uint32_t line,const std::string& info)
     {
         ++error;
+        if(!line)
+        {
+            err(stage,info);
+            return;
+        }
         std::cout<<"["<<stage<<"] "<<file<<":"<<line<<" "<<info<<"\n"<<res[line-1]<<'\n';
     }
     void chkerr(){if(error)std::exit(1);}
diff --git a/nasal_lexer.h b/nasal_lexer.h
index 8e59c54..8bf8b55 100644
--- a/nasal_lexer.h
+++ b/nasal_lexer.h
@@ -294,9 +294,15 @@ void nasal_lexer::scan(const std::string& file)
             tokens.push_back({line,column,type?type:tok_id,str});
         }
         else if(DIGIT(res[ptr]))
-            tokens.push_back({line,column,tok_num,num_gen()});
+        {
+            str=num_gen(); // make sure column is correct
+            tokens.push_back({line,column,tok_num,str});
+        }
         else if(STR(res[ptr]))
-            tokens.push_back({line,column,tok_str,str_gen()});
+        {
+            str=str_gen(); // make sure column is correct
+            tokens.push_back({line,column,tok_str,str});
+        }
         else if(SINGLE_OPERATOR(res[ptr]))
         {
             str=res[ptr];
diff --git a/nasal_parse.h b/nasal_parse.h
index 00ddb69..db5a1c8 100644
--- a/nasal_parse.h
+++ b/nasal_parse.h
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ void nasal_parse::compile(const nasal_lexer& lexer)
 void nasal_parse::die(uint32_t line,const std::string& info)
 {
     int col=(int)tokens[ptr].column-(int)tokens[ptr].str.length();
+    if(tokens[ptr].type==tok_str)
+        col-=2; // tok_str's str has no \"
     nerr.err("parse",line,col<0?0:col,info);
 }
 void nasal_parse::match(uint32_t type,const char* info)