diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 12d44c547..a6af2f267 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -746,6 +746,29 @@ file, or could be inherited by a program (See 3.7. Programs):
 * HAPROXY_MASTER_CLI: In master-worker mode, listeners addresses of the master
   CLI, separated by semicolons.
 
+In addition, some pseudo-variables are internally resolved and may be used as
+regular variables. Pseudo-variables always start with a dot ('.'), and are the
+only ones where the dot is permitted. The current list of pseudo-variables is:
+
+* .FILE: the name of the configuration file currently being parsed.
+
+* .LINE: the line number of the configuration file currently being parsed,
+  starting at one.
+
+* .SECTION: the name of the section currently being parsed, or its type if the
+  section doesn't have a name (e.g. "global"), or an empty string before the
+  first section.
+
+These variables are resolved at the location where they are parsed. For example
+if a ".LINE" variable is used in a "log-format" directive located in a defaults
+section, its line number will be resolved before parsing and compiling the
+"log-format" directive, so this same line number will be reused by subsequent
+proxies.
+
+This way it is possible to emit information to help locate a rule in variables,
+logs, error statuses, health checks, header values, or even to use line numbers
+to name some config objects like servers for example.
+
 See also "external-check command" for other variables.
 
 
diff --git a/src/tools.c b/src/tools.c
index 056c9ca77..c45358570 100644
--- a/src/tools.c
+++ b/src/tools.c
@@ -5300,14 +5300,14 @@ uint32_t parse_line(char *in, char *out, size_t *outlen, char **args, int *nbarg
 			 */
 			char *var_name;
 			char save_char;
-			char *value;
+			const char *value;
 
 			in++;
 
 			if (*in == '{')
 				brace = in++;
 
-			if (!isalpha((unsigned char)*in) && *in != '_') {
+			if (!isalpha((unsigned char)*in) && *in != '_' && *in != '.') {
 				/* unacceptable character in variable name */
 				err |= PARSE_ERR_VARNAME;
 				if (errptr)
@@ -5316,12 +5316,31 @@ uint32_t parse_line(char *in, char *out, size_t *outlen, char **args, int *nbarg
 			}
 
 			var_name = in;
+			if (*in == '.')
+				in++;
 			while (isalnum((unsigned char)*in) || *in == '_')
 				in++;
 
 			save_char = *in;
 			*in = '\0';
-			value = getenv(var_name);
+			if (unlikely(*var_name == '.')) {
+				/* internal pseudo-variables */
+				if (strcmp(var_name, ".LINE") == 0)
+					value = ultoa(global.cfg_curr_line);
+				else if (strcmp(var_name, ".FILE") == 0)
+					value = global.cfg_curr_file;
+				else if (strcmp(var_name, ".SECTION") == 0)
+					value = global.cfg_curr_section;
+				else {
+					/* unsupported internal variable name */
+					err |= PARSE_ERR_VARNAME;
+					if (errptr)
+						*errptr = var_name;
+					goto leave;
+				}
+			} else {
+				value = getenv(var_name);
+			}
 			*in = save_char;
 
 			/* support for '[*]' sequence to force word expansion,