diff --git a/bin/main.c b/bin/main.c
index b0bb1c9..df3cc68 100644
--- a/bin/main.c
+++ b/bin/main.c
@@ -378,13 +378,9 @@ static void print_synerr (hcl_t* hcl)
 
 	hcl_logbfmt (hcl,HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: ");
 	if (synerr.loc.file)
-	{
 		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "%js", synerr.loc.file);
-	}
 	else
-	{
 		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "%hs", xtn->cci_path);
-	}
 
 	hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "[%zu,%zu] %js",
 		synerr.loc.line, synerr.loc.colm,
@@ -392,18 +388,35 @@ static void print_synerr (hcl_t* hcl)
 	);
 
 	if (synerr.tgt.len > 0)
-	{
 		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, " - %.*js", synerr.tgt.len, synerr.tgt.val);
-	}
 
 	hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "\n");
 }
 
+static void print_other_error (hcl_t* hcl)
+{
+	xtn_t* xtn;
+	hcl_loc_t loc;
+
+	xtn = (xtn_t*)hcl_getxtn(hcl);
+	hcl_geterrloc(hcl, &loc);
+
+	hcl_logbfmt (hcl,HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: ");
+	if (loc.file)
+		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "%js", loc.file);
+	else
+		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "%hs", xtn->cci_path);
+
+	hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "[%zu,%zu] %js", loc.line, loc.colm, hcl_geterrmsg(hcl));
+
+	hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "\n");
+}
 
 static void print_error (hcl_t* hcl, const hcl_bch_t* msghdr)
 {
 	if (HCL_ERRNUM(hcl) == HCL_ESYNERR) print_synerr (hcl);
-	else hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: %hs - [%d] %js\n", msghdr, hcl_geterrnum(hcl), hcl_geterrmsg(hcl));
+	else print_other_error (hcl);
+	/*else hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: %hs - [%d] %js\n", msghdr, hcl_geterrnum(hcl), hcl_geterrmsg(hcl));*/
 }
 
 static void show_prompt (hcl_t* hcl, int level)
@@ -429,7 +442,7 @@ static hcl_oop_t execute_in_interactive_mode (hcl_t* hcl)
 
 	if (!retv)
 	{
-		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: cannot execute - [%d] %js\n", hcl_geterrnum(hcl), hcl_geterrmsg(hcl));
+		print_error (hcl, "cannot execute");
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -486,7 +499,7 @@ static hcl_oop_t execute_in_batch_mode(hcl_t* hcl, int verbose)
 
 	if (!retv)
 	{
-		hcl_logbfmt (hcl, HCL_LOG_STDERR, "ERROR: cannot execute - [%d] %js\n", hcl_geterrnum(hcl), hcl_geterrmsg(hcl));
+		print_error (hcl, "cannot execute");
 	}
 	else if (verbose)
 	{
diff --git a/lib/err.c b/lib/err.c
index 7c07864..1a25fd5 100644
--- a/lib/err.c
+++ b/lib/err.c
@@ -286,6 +286,12 @@ void hcl_seterrnum (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum)
 	if (hcl->shuterr) return;
 	hcl->errnum = errnum;
 	hcl->errmsg.len = 0;
+	HCL_MEMSET (&hcl->errloc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl->errloc));
+}
+
+void hcl_geterrloc (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_loc_t* loc)
+{
+	if (loc) *loc = hcl->errloc;
 }
 
 void hcl_seterrbmsg (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_bch_t* errmsg)
@@ -293,7 +299,6 @@ void hcl_seterrbmsg (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_bch_t* errmsg)
 	hcl_seterrbfmt(hcl, errnum, "%hs", errmsg);
 }
 
-
 void hcl_seterrumsg (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_uch_t* errmsg)
 {
 	hcl_seterrbfmt(hcl, errnum, "%ls", errmsg);
@@ -363,6 +368,7 @@ void hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_bch_t* fmt, ...)
 	va_end (ap);
 
 	hcl->errnum = errnum;
+	HCL_MEMSET (&hcl->errloc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl->errloc));
 }
 
 void hcl_seterrufmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, ...)
@@ -384,6 +390,7 @@ void hcl_seterrufmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, ...)
 	va_end (ap);
 
 	hcl->errnum = errnum;
+	HCL_MEMSET (&hcl->errloc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl->errloc));
 }
 
 
@@ -403,6 +410,7 @@ void hcl_seterrbfmtv (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_bch_t* fmt, va_
 
 	hcl_bfmt_outv (&fo, fmt, ap);
 	hcl->errnum = errnum;
+	HCL_MEMSET (&hcl->errloc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl->errloc));
 }
 
 void hcl_seterrufmtv (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, va_list ap)
@@ -421,9 +429,26 @@ void hcl_seterrufmtv (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, va_
 
 	hcl_ufmt_outv (&fo, fmt, ap);
 	hcl->errnum = errnum;
+	HCL_MEMSET (&hcl->errloc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl->errloc));
 }
 
+void hcl_seterrbfmtloc (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_bch_t* fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
+	hcl_seterrbfmtv (hcl, errnum, fmt, ap);
+	va_end (ap);
+	hcl->errloc = *loc;
+}
 
+void hcl_seterrufmtloc (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum, const hcl_loc_t* loc, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
+	hcl_seterrufmtv (hcl, errnum, fmt, ap);
+	va_end (ap);
+	hcl->errloc = *loc;
+}
 
 void hcl_seterrwithsyserr (hcl_t* hcl, int syserr_type, int syserr_code)
 {
diff --git a/lib/exec.c b/lib/exec.c
index 1ad7a70..d502ddd 100644
--- a/lib/exec.c
+++ b/lib/exec.c
@@ -2310,9 +2310,15 @@ static HCL_INLINE int do_throw (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oop_t val, hcl_ooi_t ip)
 		if (hcl->active_function->dbgi != hcl->_nil)
 		{
 			hcl_dbgi_t* dbgi;
+			hcl_loc_t loc;
+
 			dbgi = (hcl_dbgi_t*)HCL_OBJ_GET_BYTE_SLOT(hcl->active_function->dbgi);
 			HCL_LOG3 (hcl, HCL_LOG_IC | HCL_LOG_WARN, "Warning - exception not handled %js:%zu- %O", (dbgi[ip].fname? dbgi[ip].fname: oocstr_dash), dbgi[ip].sline, val);
-			hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_EEXCEPT, "exception not handled in %js:%zu - %O", (dbgi[ip].fname? dbgi[ip].fname: oocstr_dash), dbgi[ip].sline, val);
+			HCL_MEMSET (&loc, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(loc));
+			loc.file = dbgi[ip].fname;
+			loc.line = dbgi[ip].sline;
+			hcl_seterrbfmtloc (hcl, HCL_EEXCEPT, &loc, "exception not handled - %O", val);
+			/* column number is not available */
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -2360,14 +2366,17 @@ static void supplement_errmsg (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t ip)
 	if (hcl->active_function->dbgi != hcl->_nil)
 	{
 		hcl_dbgi_t* dbgi;
+		hcl_loc_t orgloc = hcl->errloc;
 		const hcl_ooch_t* orgmsg = hcl_backuperrmsg(hcl);
 		hcl_errnum_t orgnum = HCL_ERRNUM(hcl);
 
 		HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_IS_BYTEARRAY(hcl, hcl->active_function->dbgi));
 		dbgi = (hcl_dbgi_t*)HCL_OBJ_GET_BYTE_SLOT(hcl->active_function->dbgi);
 
-		hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, orgnum, "%js (%js:%zu)", orgmsg,
+		hcl_seterrbfmtloc (hcl, orgnum, &orgloc, "%js (%js:%zu)", orgmsg,
 			(dbgi[ip].fname? dbgi[ip].fname: oocstr_dash), dbgi[ip].sline);
+
+		/* no column info available */
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index d534cf4..fe6811b 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -1513,7 +1513,6 @@ struct hcl_synerr_t
 	} tgt;
 };
 
-
 typedef struct hcl_dbgi_t hcl_dbgi_t;
 struct hcl_dbgi_t
 {
@@ -1590,6 +1589,7 @@ struct hcl_t
 		hcl_oow_t len;
 
 	} errmsg;
+	hcl_loc_t errloc;
 	int shuterr;
 
 	struct
@@ -2164,6 +2164,11 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrnum (
 	hcl_errnum_t errnum
 );
 
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_geterrloc (
+	hcl_t*     hcl,
+	hcl_loc_t* loc
+);
+
 HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrbmsg (
 	hcl_t*           hcl,
 	hcl_errnum_t     errnum,
@@ -2212,6 +2217,22 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrufmt (
 	...
 );
 
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrbfmtloc (
+	hcl_t*           hcl,
+	hcl_errnum_t     errnum,
+	const hcl_loc_t* loc,
+	const hcl_bch_t* fmt,
+	...
+);
+
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrufmtloc (
+	hcl_t*           hcl,
+	hcl_errnum_t     errnum,
+	const hcl_loc_t* loc,
+	const hcl_uch_t* fmt,
+	...
+);
+
 HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrbfmtv (
 	hcl_t*           hcl,
 	hcl_errnum_t     errnum,
@@ -2226,6 +2247,7 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrufmtv (
 	va_list          ap
 );
 
+
 HCL_EXPORT const hcl_ooch_t* hcl_geterrstr (
 	hcl_t* hcl
 );
@@ -2536,7 +2558,6 @@ static HCL_INLINE hcl_ooi_t hcl_getip (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->ip; }
 #	define hcl_getip(hcl) ((hcl)->ip)
 #endif
 
-
 /* =========================================================================
  * SYNTAX ERROR HANDLING
  * ========================================================================= */
diff --git a/t/class-5001.err b/t/class-5001.err
index 3cc1131..acb3877 100644
--- a/t/class-5001.err
+++ b/t/class-5001.err
@@ -25,15 +25,29 @@ defclass X :: B | a b | {
 ---
 
 defclass X {
-        defun :* xxx() {
-                return X;
-        }
-        defun :* qqq() {
-                return "hello"
-        }
+	defun :* xxx() {
+		return X;
+	}
+	defun :* qqq() {
+		return "hello"
+	}
 
-        defun String:length()  { ##ERROR: syntax error - function name not valid
-                return (str.length self)
-        }
+	defun String:length()  { ##ERROR: syntax error - function name not valid
+		return (str.length self)
+	}
 }
 
+---
+defclass X {
+	defun :* xxx() {
+		return X;
+	}
+	defun :* qqq() {
+		return "hello"
+	}
+}
+
+## this will trigger a runtime error as J isn't a class name
+defun J:ccc()  { ##ERROR: exception not handled
+	return 999
+}