diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index 000baf88d0..bdb11ec9ab 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ void utils::missing_cmd_args(const std::string &file, int line, const std::strin
   if (error) error->all(file, line, "Illegal {} command: missing argument(s)", cmd);
 }
 
-std::string utils::point_to_error(Input *input, int failedarg)
+std::string utils::point_to_error(Input *input, int failed)
 {
   if (input) {
     std::string cmdline = "Preprocessed: ";
@@ -142,14 +142,15 @@ std::string utils::point_to_error(Input *input, int failedarg)
 
     // assemble pre-processed command line and update error indicator position, if needed.
     for (int i = 0; i < input->narg; ++i) {
-      if (i == failedarg) indicator = cmdline.size();
+      if (i == failed) indicator = cmdline.size();
       cmdline += input->arg[i];
       cmdline += ' ';
     }
     // construct and append error indicator line
     cmdline += '\n';
     cmdline += std::string(indicator, ' ');
-    cmdline += "^\n";
+    cmdline += std::string(strlen(input->arg[failed]), '^');
+    cmdline += '\n';
     return cmdline;
   } else return std::string("(Failed command line text not available)");
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 78e59ab2c8..63f0643616 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ namespace utils {
    *
    * This function is a helper function for error messages.  It creates
    *
-   *  \param input      pointer to the Input class instance (for access to last command args)
-   *  \param failedarg  index of the faulty argument (-1 to point to the command itself)
-   *  \return           string with two lines: the pre-processed command and a '^' pointing to the faulty argument */
-  std::string point_to_error(Input *input, int failedarg);
+   *  \param input   pointer to the Input class instance (for access to last command args)
+   *  \param faile   index of the faulty argument (-1 to point to the command itself)
+   *  \return        string with two lines: the pre-processed command and a '^' pointing to the faulty argument */
+  std::string point_to_error(Input *input, int failed);
 
   /*! Internal function handling the argument list for logmesg(). */