diff --git a/src/error.cpp b/src/error.cpp
index 1d656c1c45..d03e5453e9 100644
--- a/src/error.cpp
+++ b/src/error.cpp
@@ -118,36 +118,30 @@ void Error::all(const std::string &file, int line, int failed, const std::string
 {
   MPI_Barrier(world);
 
-  int me;
   std::string lastcmd = "(unknown)";
+  std::string mesg = "ERROR: " + str + fmt::format(" ({}:{})\n",  truncpath(file), line);
 
-  MPI_Comm_rank(world,&me);
+  if (input && input->line) lastcmd = input->line;
 
-  if (me == 0) {
-    std::string mesg = "ERROR: " + str;
-
-    if (input && input->line) lastcmd = input->line;
+  if (failed > NOLASTLINE) {
     try {
-      mesg += fmt::format(" ({}:{})\nLast command: {}\n", truncpath(file),line,lastcmd);
+      mesg += fmt::format("Last input line: {}\n", lastcmd);
       if (failed > NOPOINTER) mesg += utils::point_to_error(input, failed);
     } catch (fmt::format_error &) {
       ; // do nothing
     }
-    utils::logmesg(lmp,mesg);
   }
+  if (comm->me == 0) utils::logmesg(lmp,mesg);
 
   // allow commands if an exception was caught in a run
   // update may be a null pointer when catching command-line errors
 
   if (update) update->whichflag = 0;
 
-  std::string msg = fmt::format("ERROR: {} ({}:{})\n", str, truncpath(file), line);
-  if (failed > NOPOINTER) msg += utils::point_to_error(input, failed);
-
   if (universe->nworlds > 1)
-    throw LAMMPSAbortException(msg, universe->uworld);
+    throw LAMMPSAbortException(mesg, universe->uworld);
   else
-    throw LAMMPSException(msg);
+    throw LAMMPSException(mesg);
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -166,8 +160,12 @@ void Error::one(const std::string &file, int line, int failed, const std::string
   if (input && input->line) lastcmd = input->line;
   std::string mesg;
   try {
-    mesg = fmt::format("ERROR on proc {}: {} ({}:{})\nLast command: {}\n",
-                       me,str,truncpath(file),line,lastcmd);
+    if (failed == NOLASTLINE) {
+      mesg = fmt::format("ERROR on proc {}: {} ({}:{})\n", me, str, truncpath(file), line);
+    } else {
+      mesg = fmt::format("ERROR on proc {}: {} ({}:{})\nLast input line: {}\n",
+                         me, str, truncpath(file), line, lastcmd);
+    }
     if (failed > NOPOINTER) mesg += utils::point_to_error(input, failed);
   } catch (fmt::format_error &) {
     ; // do nothing
diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index cf066338a4..0c446667e0 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Error : protected Pointers {
   void universe_warn(const std::string &, int, const std::string &);
 
   static constexpr int NOPOINTER = -2;
+  static constexpr int NOLASTLINE = -3;
 
   // regular error calls
 
diff --git a/src/fix_print.cpp b/src/fix_print.cpp
index ccef03c3ae..8e0a4a1921 100644
--- a/src/fix_print.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_print.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ FixPrint::FixPrint(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
     nevery = 1;
   } else {
     nevery = utils::inumeric(FLERR, arg[3], false, lmp);
-    if (nevery <= 0) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal fix print nevery value {}; must be > 0", nevery);
+    if (nevery <= 0) error->all(FLERR, 3, "Illegal fix print nevery value {}; must be > 0", nevery);
   }
 
   text = utils::strdup(arg[4]);
@@ -121,12 +121,15 @@ void FixPrint::init()
   if (var_print) {
     ivar_print = input->variable->find(var_print);
     if (ivar_print < 0)
-      error->all(FLERR, "Variable {} for fix print timestep does not exist", var_print);
+      error->all(FLERR, Error::NOLASTLINE, "Variable {} for fix print timestep does not exist",
+                 var_print);
     if (!input->variable->equalstyle(ivar_print))
-      error->all(FLERR, "Variable {} for fix print timestep is invalid style", var_print);
+      error->all(FLERR, Error::NOLASTLINE, "Variable {} for fix print timestep is invalid style",
+                 var_print);
     next_print = static_cast<bigint>(input->variable->compute_equal(ivar_print));
     if (next_print <= update->ntimestep)
-      error->all(FLERR, "Fix print timestep variable {} returned a bad timestep: {}", var_print,
+      error->all(FLERR, Error::NOLASTLINE,
+                 "Fix print timestep variable {} returned a bad timestep: {}", var_print,
                  next_print);
   } else {
     if (update->ntimestep % nevery)
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index bdb11ec9ab..4cb87d0131 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -135,15 +135,28 @@ void utils::missing_cmd_args(const std::string &file, int line, const std::strin
 std::string utils::point_to_error(Input *input, int failed)
 {
   if (input) {
-    std::string cmdline = "Preprocessed: ";
+    std::string cmdline = "--> parsed line: ";
     int indicator = cmdline.size(); // error indicator points to command by default
     cmdline += input->command;
     cmdline += ' ';
 
     // assemble pre-processed command line and update error indicator position, if needed.
     for (int i = 0; i < input->narg; ++i) {
+      std::string inputarg = input->arg[i];
       if (i == failed) indicator = cmdline.size();
-      cmdline += input->arg[i];
+
+      // argument contains whitespace. add quotes. check which type of quotes, too
+      if (inputarg.find_first_of(" \t\n") != std::string::npos) {
+        if (inputarg.find_first_of('"') != std::string::npos) {
+          cmdline += "'";
+          cmdline += inputarg;
+          cmdline += "'";
+        } else {
+          cmdline += '"';
+          cmdline += inputarg;
+          cmdline += '"';
+        }
+      } else cmdline += inputarg;
       cmdline += ' ';
     }
     // construct and append error indicator line
diff --git a/src/variable.cpp b/src/variable.cpp
index 031709166b..d20a134d0d 100644
--- a/src/variable.cpp
+++ b/src/variable.cpp
@@ -5227,14 +5227,14 @@ void Variable::print_var_error(const std::string &srcfile, const int lineno,
   if ((ivar >= 0) && (ivar < nvar)) {
     std::string msg = fmt::format("Variable {}: ",names[ivar]) + errmsg;
     if (global)
-      error->all(srcfile,lineno,msg);
+      error->all(srcfile, lineno, Error::NOLASTLINE, msg);
     else
-      error->one(srcfile,lineno,msg);
+      error->one(srcfile, lineno, Error::NOLASTLINE, msg);
   } else {
     if (global)
-      error->all(srcfile,lineno,errmsg);
+      error->all(srcfile,lineno, Error::NOLASTLINE, errmsg);
     else
-      error->one(srcfile,lineno,errmsg);
+      error->one(srcfile,lineno, Error::NOLASTLINE, errmsg);
   }
 }