diff --git a/src/error.cpp b/src/error.cpp
index 0cbfa4c4a1..a67a9e5865 100644
--- a/src/error.cpp
+++ b/src/error.cpp
@@ -213,6 +213,30 @@ void Error::one(const std::string &file, int line, const std::string &str)
 #endif
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   forward vararg version to single string version
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void Error::_all(const std::string &file, int line, fmt::string_view format,
+                 fmt::format_args args)
+{
+  try {
+    all(file,line,fmt::vformat(format, args));
+  } catch (fmt::format_error &e) {
+    all(file,line,e.what());
+  }
+}
+
+void Error::_one(const std::string &file, int line, fmt::string_view format,
+                 fmt::format_args args)
+{
+  try {
+    one(file,line,fmt::vformat(format, args));
+  } catch (fmt::format_error &e) {
+    one(file,line,e.what());
+  }
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    called by one proc in world
    only write to screen if non-nullptr on this proc since could be file
diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index dedebc4148..8b71974df5 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ class Error : protected Pointers {
 
   [[ noreturn ]] void all(const std::string &, int, const std::string &);
   [[ noreturn ]] void one(const std::string &, int, const std::string &);
+  template <typename S, typename... Args>
+  [[ noreturn ]] void all(const std::string &file, int line, const S &format,
+                          Args&&... args) {
+    _all(file, line, format, fmt::make_args_checked<Args...>(format, args...));
+  }
+  template <typename S, typename... Args>
+  [[ noreturn ]] void one(const std::string &file, int line, const S &format,
+                          Args&&... args) {
+    _one(file, line, format, fmt::make_args_checked<Args...>(format, args...));
+  }
+
   void warning(const std::string &, int, const std::string &, int = 1);
   void message(const std::string &, int, const std::string &, int = 1);
   [[ noreturn ]] void done(int = 0); // 1 would be fully backwards compatible
@@ -44,6 +55,12 @@ class Error : protected Pointers {
  private:
   std::string last_error_message;
   ErrorType last_error_type;
+
+  // internal versions that accept explicit fmtlib arguments
+  [[ noreturn ]] void _all(const std::string &, int, fmt::string_view,
+                           fmt::format_args args);
+  [[ noreturn ]] void _one(const std::string &, int, fmt::string_view,
+                           fmt::format_args args);
 #endif
 };
 
diff --git a/unittest/formats/test_file_operations.cpp b/unittest/formats/test_file_operations.cpp
index 392ca04656..414c2dba21 100644
--- a/unittest/formats/test_file_operations.cpp
+++ b/unittest/formats/test_file_operations.cpp
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@
    See the README file in the top-level LAMMPS directory.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#include "../testing/core.h"
+#include "error.h"
 #include "info.h"
 #include "input.h"
 #include "lammps.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "gmock/gmock.h"
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
-#include "../testing/core.h"
 
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <mpi.h>
@@ -134,9 +135,9 @@ TEST_F(FileOperationsTest, logmesg)
     utils::logmesg(lmp, "one\n");
     command("log test_logmesg.log");
     utils::logmesg(lmp, "two\n");
-    utils::logmesg(lmp, "three={}\n",3);
+    utils::logmesg(lmp, "three={}\n", 3);
     utils::logmesg(lmp, "four {}\n");
-    utils::logmesg(lmp, "five\n",5);
+    utils::logmesg(lmp, "five\n", 5);
     command("log none");
     std::string out = END_CAPTURE_OUTPUT();
     memset(buf, 0, 64);
@@ -148,6 +149,50 @@ TEST_F(FileOperationsTest, logmesg)
     remove("test_logmesg.log");
 }
 
+TEST_F(FileOperationsTest, error_message_warn)
+{
+    char buf[64];
+    BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    command("echo none");
+    command("log test_error_warn.log");
+    END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    BEGIN_CAPTURE_OUTPUT();
+    lmp->error->message("testme.cpp", 10, "message me");
+    lmp->error->warning("testme.cpp", 100, "warn me");
+    command("log none");
+    std::string out = END_CAPTURE_OUTPUT();
+    memset(buf, 0, 64);
+    FILE *fp = fopen("test_error_warn.log", "r");
+    fread(buf, 1, 64, fp);
+    fclose(fp);
+    auto msg = StrEq("message me (testme.cpp:10)\n"
+                     "WARNING: warn me (testme.cpp:100)\n");
+    ASSERT_THAT(out, msg);
+    ASSERT_THAT(buf, msg);
+    remove("test_error_warn.log");
+}
+
+TEST_F(FileOperationsTest, error_all_one)
+{
+    char buf[64];
+    BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    command("echo none");
+    command("log none");
+    END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR: exit \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->all("testme.cpp", 10, "exit"););
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR: exit too \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->all("testme.cpp", 10, "exit {}", "too"););
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR: argument not found \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->all("testme.cpp", 10, "exit {} {}", "too"););
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR on proc 0: exit \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->one("testme.cpp", 10, "exit"););
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR on proc 0: exit too \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->one("testme.cpp", 10, "exit {}", "too"););
+    TEST_FAILURE(".*ERROR on proc 0: argument not found \\(testme.cpp:10\\).*",
+                 lmp->error->one("testme.cpp", 10, "exit {} {}", "too"););
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     MPI_Init(&argc, &argv);