diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index b0f324f..12376cf 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -186,7 +186,12 @@ enum hcl_tok_type_t
 	HCL_TOK_COMMA,     /* , */
 	HCL_TOK_LPAREN,    /* ( */
 	HCL_TOK_RPAREN,    /* ) */
+
+#if 0 /* use the (obj:message ... ) syntax instad. no more mlist by (: */
 	HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON, /* (: */
+#define HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON
+#endif
+
 	HCL_TOK_BAPAREN,   /* #[ - byte array parenthesis */
 	HCL_TOK_QLPAREN,   /* #( - quoted-list parenthesis */
 	HCL_TOK_DLPAREN,   /* #{ - dictionary parenthese */
diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index 15cb7d8..f89a596 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -505,7 +505,16 @@ static HCL_INLINE hcl_cnode_t* leave_list (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_loc_t* list_loc, int*
 
 	if (fv & (COMMAED | COLONED))
 	{
-		hcl_setsynerr (hcl, ((fv & COMMAED)? HCL_SYNERR_COMMANOVALUE: HCL_SYNERR_COLONNOVALUE), TOKEN_LOC(hcl), HCL_NULL);
+		if (concode == HCL_CONCODE_MLIST)
+		{
+			hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_CALLABLE, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), HCL_NULL, "missing message after colon");
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			hcl_synerrnum_t sen;
+			sen = (fv & COMMAED)? HCL_SYNERR_COMMANOVALUE: HCL_SYNERR_COLONNOVALUE;
+			hcl_setsynerr (hcl, sen, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), HCL_NULL);
+		}
 		if (head) hcl_freecnode (hcl, head);
 		return HCL_NULL;
 	}
@@ -1015,10 +1024,12 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_QLIST);
 			goto start_list;
 
+		#if defined(HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON)
 		case HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON: /* (: */
 			frd->flagv = 0;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_MLIST);
 			goto start_list;
+		#endif
 
 		case HCL_TOK_LPAREN: /* ( */
 			frd->flagv = 0;
@@ -1424,7 +1435,9 @@ static delim_token_t delim_token_tab[] =
 	 */
 
 	{ "(",        1, HCL_TOK_LPAREN },
+#if defined(HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON)
 	{ "(:",       2, HCL_TOK_LPARCOLON },
+#endif
 	{ ")",        1, HCL_TOK_RPAREN },
 
 	{ "[",        1, HCL_TOK_LBRACK },
diff --git a/t/retvar-01.hcl b/t/retvar-01.hcl
index e60ef78..94b1e1d 100644
--- a/t/retvar-01.hcl
+++ b/t/retvar-01.hcl
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@
 		};
 	};
 
-	(set-r a b (:B get))
-	(set-r c d (:B get2 -100))
+	(set-r a b (B:get))
+	(set-r c d (B:get2 -100))
 
 	(if (/= a 999) (printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n"))
 	(if (/= b 888) (printf "ERROR: b must be 888\n"))