diff --git a/vlib/compiler/cflags.v b/vlib/compiler/cflags.v
index d20fe4abe4..34b50330c2 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/cflags.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/cflags.v
@@ -126,12 +126,9 @@ fn (table mut Table) parse_cflag(cflag string, mod string) ?bool {
 			index = -1
 		}
 		if (name in ['-I', '-l', '-L']) && value == '' {
-			if name == '-I' || name == '-L' {
-				return error('bad #flag `$flag_orig`: missing path after `-I`')
-			} else if name == '-l' {
-				return error('bad #flag `$flag_orig`: missing library name after `-l`')
-			}
-		} 
+			hint := if name == '-l' { 'library name' } else { 'path' }
+			return error('bad #flag `$flag_orig`: missing $hint after `$name`')
+		}
 		cf := CFlag{
 			mod:   mod,
 			os:    fos,
diff --git a/vlib/compiler/comptime.v b/vlib/compiler/comptime.v
index 01e59da646..0536930f4c 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/comptime.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/comptime.v
@@ -185,7 +185,9 @@ fn (p mut Parser) chash() {
 			flag = flag.replace('@VROOT', p.vroot)
 			flag = flag.replace('@VMOD', v_modules_path)
 			//p.log('adding flag "$flag"')
-			p.table.parse_cflag(flag, p.mod)
+			_ = p.table.parse_cflag(flag, p.mod) or {
+				p.error_with_token_index(err, p.cur_tok_index()-1)
+			}
 		}
 		return
 	}