diff --git a/lib/comp.c b/lib/comp.c
index da06681..fcb3819 100644
--- a/lib/comp.c
+++ b/lib/comp.c
@@ -2311,7 +2311,7 @@ static int compile_if (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cnode_t* src)
 	if (!obj)
 	{
 		/* no value */
-		hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_ARGCOUNT, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(src), HCL_NULL, "no conditional expression after %.*js", HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKLEN(cmd), HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKPTR(cmd));
+		hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_ARGCOUNT, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(src), HCL_NULL, "no conditional expression after '%.*js'", HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKLEN(cmd), HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKPTR(cmd));
 		return -1;
 	}
 	else if (!HCL_CNODE_IS_CONS(obj))
@@ -2412,7 +2412,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int compile_elif (hcl_t* hcl)
 	if (!obj)
 	{
 		/* no value */
-		hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_ARGCOUNT, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(src), HCL_NULL, "no conditional expression after %.*js", HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKLEN(cmd), HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKPTR(cmd));
+		hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_ARGCOUNT, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(src), HCL_NULL, "no conditional expression after '%.*js'", HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKLEN(cmd), HCL_CNODE_GET_TOKPTR(cmd));
 		return -1;
 	}
 	else if (!HCL_CNODE_IS_CONS(obj))
diff --git a/t/call-5001.err b/t/call-5001.err
index 308d0a0..61d5ddf 100644
--- a/t/call-5001.err
+++ b/t/call-5001.err
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ while(i < 20) {
 
 ---
 
-if  ##ERROR: syntax error - no conditional expression after if
+if  ##ERROR: syntax error - no conditional expression after 'if'
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/t/err.sh b/t/err.sh
index 4cfbc70..9a77222 100644
--- a/t/err.sh
+++ b/t/err.sh
@@ -27,14 +27,19 @@ run_partfile() {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	l_expected_errline=$(echo $l_expected_errinfo | cut -d: -f1)
-	l_xlen=$(echo $l_expected_errline | wc -c)
+	l_expected_errline=$(echo "$l_expected_errinfo" | cut -d: -f1)
+	l_xlen=$(echo "$l_expected_errline" | wc -c)
 	l_xlen=$(expr $l_xlen + 10)
-	l_expected_errmsg=$(echo $l_expected_errinfo | cut -c${l_xlen}-)
+	l_expected_errmsg=$(echo "$l_expected_errinfo" | cut -c${l_xlen}-)
 	l_output=`$l_cmd 2>&1`
-	## the regular expression is not escaped properly. the error information must not
-	## include specifial regex characters to avoid problems.
-	echo "$l_output" | grep -E "ERROR:.+${l_partfile}\[${l_expected_errline},[[:digit:]]+\] ${l_expected_errmsg}" >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+
+	## the checks using grep may not be 100% accurate depending on message patterns.
+	## but it's unlikely such a case really happens
+	echo "$l_output" | grep -q -E "^ERROR:.+${l_partfile}\[${l_expected_errline},[[:digit:]]+\] .+" 2>&1 || {
+		echo "ERROR: error not raised at line $l_expected_errline - $l_script($l_partno) - $l_output"
+		return 1
+	}
+	echo "$l_output" | grep -q -F " ${l_expected_errmsg}" 2>&1 || {
 		echo "ERROR: error not raised at line $l_expected_errline - $l_script($l_partno) - $l_output"
 		return 1
 	}
diff --git a/t/var-5001.err b/t/var-5001.err
index f3d40f6..7807475 100644
--- a/t/var-5001.err
+++ b/t/var-5001.err
@@ -49,5 +49,5 @@ class A [ a + ] { ##ERROR: syntax error - prohibited binary operator - +
 
 ## TODO: This check is supposed to fail. + must be treated as a binop symbol
 ##---
-##class A [ + ] { ##ERROR: syntax error - prohibited binary operator - +
+##class A [ + ] { ##   ERROR: syntax error - prohibited binary operator - +
 ##}