diff --git a/include/haproxy/tools.h b/include/haproxy/tools.h
index 6bbbb4612..6c9f38dbc 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/tools.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/tools.h
@@ -862,6 +862,7 @@ int my_unsetenv(const char *name);
  */
 char *env_expand(char *in);
 uint32_t parse_line(char *in, char *out, size_t *outlen, char **args, int *nbargs, uint32_t opts, char **errptr);
+size_t sanitize_for_printing(char *line, size_t pos, size_t width);
 
 /* debugging macro to emit messages using write() on fd #-1 so that strace sees
  * them.
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index 6525806e0..92f17691c 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -1945,32 +1945,40 @@ next_line:
 					 PARSE_OPT_BKSLASH | PARSE_OPT_SHARP, &errptr);
 
 			if (err & PARSE_ERR_QUOTE) {
-				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: unmatched quote below:\n"
-					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, line, (int)(errptr-line+1), "^");
+				size_t newpos = sanitize_for_printing(line, errptr - line, 80);
+
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: unmatched quote at position %d:\n"
+					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, (int)(errptr-thisline+1), line, (int)(newpos+1), "^");
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				fatal++;
 				goto next_line;
 			}
 
 			if (err & PARSE_ERR_BRACE) {
-				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: unmatched brace in environment variable name below:\n"
-					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, line, (int)(errptr-line+1), "^");
+				size_t newpos = sanitize_for_printing(line, errptr - line, 80);
+
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: unmatched brace in environment variable name at position %d:\n"
+					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, (int)(errptr-thisline+1), line, (int)(newpos+1), "^");
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				fatal++;
 				goto next_line;
 			}
 
 			if (err & PARSE_ERR_VARNAME) {
-				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: forbidden first char in environment variable name below:\n"
-					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, line, (int)(errptr-line+1), "^");
+				size_t newpos = sanitize_for_printing(line, errptr - line, 80);
+
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: forbidden first char in environment variable name at position %d:\n"
+					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, (int)(errptr-thisline+1), line, (int)(newpos+1), "^");
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				fatal++;
 				goto next_line;
 			}
 
 			if (err & PARSE_ERR_HEX) {
-				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: truncated or invalid hexadecimal sequence below:\n"
-					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, line, (int)(errptr-line+1), "^");
+				size_t newpos = sanitize_for_printing(line, errptr - line, 80);
+
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: truncated or invalid hexadecimal sequence at position %d:\n"
+					 "  %s\n  %*s\n", file, linenum, (int)(errptr-thisline+1), line, (int)(newpos+1), "^");
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				fatal++;
 				goto next_line;
diff --git a/src/tools.c b/src/tools.c
index 964170065..fa92db58b 100644
--- a/src/tools.c
+++ b/src/tools.c
@@ -4990,6 +4990,51 @@ uint32_t parse_line(char *in, char *out, size_t *outlen, char **args, int *nbarg
 }
 #undef EMIT_CHAR
 
+/* This is used to sanitize an input line that's about to be used for error reporting.
+ * It will adjust <line> to print approximately <width> chars around <pos>, trying to
+ * preserve the beginning, with leading or trailing "..." when the line is truncated.
+ * If non-printable chars are present in the output. It returns the new offset <pos>
+ * in the modified line. Non-printable characters are replaced with '?'. <width> must
+ * be at least 6 to support two "..." otherwise the result is undefined. The line
+ * itself must have at least 7 chars allocated for the same reason.
+ */
+size_t sanitize_for_printing(char *line, size_t pos, size_t width)
+{
+	size_t shift = 0;
+	char *out = line;
+	char *in = line;
+	char *end = line + width;
+
+	if (pos >= width) {
+		/* if we have to shift, we'll be out of context, so let's
+		 * try to put <pos> at the center of width.
+		 */
+		shift = pos - width / 2;
+		in += shift + 3;
+		end = out + width - 3;
+		out[0] = out[1] = out[2] = '.';
+		out += 3;
+	}
+
+	while (out < end && *in) {
+		if (isspace((unsigned char)*in))
+			*out++ = ' ';
+		else if (isprint((unsigned char)*in))
+			*out++ = *in;
+		else
+			*out++ = '?';
+		in++;
+	}
+
+	if (end < line + width) {
+		out[0] = out[1] = out[2] = '.';
+		out += 3;
+	}
+
+	*out++ = 0;
+	return pos - shift;
+}
+
 /*
  * Local variables:
  *  c-indent-level: 8