diff --git a/builtin_complete.c b/builtin_complete.c
index e93f9cde3..7ae602376 100644
--- a/builtin_complete.c
+++ b/builtin_complete.c
@@ -400,12 +400,20 @@ static int builtin_complete( wchar_t **argv )
 				break;
 					
 			case 'p':	
-				al_push( &cmd, unescape( woptarg, 1));
-				break;
-				
 			case 'c':
-				al_push( &cmd, unescape( woptarg, 1) );
+			{
+				wchar_t *a = unescape( woptarg, 1);
+				if( a )
+				{
+					al_push( (opt=='p'?&path:&cmd), a );
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					sb_printf( sb_err, L"%ls: Invalid token '%ls'\n", argv[0], woptarg );
+					res = 1;					
+				}				
 				break;
+			}
 				
 			case 'd':
 				desc = woptarg;
diff --git a/highlight.c b/highlight.c
index 336f4b482..3d3f0c721 100644
--- a/highlight.c
+++ b/highlight.c
@@ -80,80 +80,80 @@ static int is_potential_path( const wchar_t *path )
 		
 //	debug( 1, L"%ls -> %ls ->%ls", path, tilde, unescaped );
 	
-	halloc_register( context, unescaped );
+		halloc_register( context, unescaped );
 			
-	for( in = out = unescaped; *in; in++ )
-	{
-		switch( *in )
+		for( in = out = unescaped; *in; in++ )
 		{
-			case PROCESS_EXPAND:
-			case VARIABLE_EXPAND:
-			case VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE:
-			case BRACKET_BEGIN:
-			case BRACKET_END:
-			case BRACKET_SEP:
+			switch( *in )
 			{
-				has_magic = 1;
-				break;		
-			}
-
-			case INTERNAL_SEPARATOR:
-			{
-				break;
-			}
-						
-			default:
-			{
-				*(out++) = *in;
-				break;
-			}
-			
-		}
-		
-	}
-	*out = 0;
-	
-	if( !has_magic && wcslen( unescaped ) )
-	{
-		int must_be_dir = 0;
-		DIR *dir;
-		must_be_dir = unescaped[wcslen(unescaped)-1] == L'/';
-		if( must_be_dir )
-		{
-			dir = wopendir( unescaped );
-			res = !!dir;
-			closedir( dir );
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			wchar_t *dir_name, *base;
-			struct wdirent *ent;
-		
-			dir_name = wdirname( halloc_wcsdup(context, unescaped) );
-			base = wbasename( halloc_wcsdup(context, unescaped) );			
-			
-			if( (wcscmp( dir_name, L"/" ) == 0 ) &&
-				(wcscmp( base, L"/" ) == 0 ) )
-			{
-				res = 1;
-			}
-			else if( (dir = wopendir( dir_name )) )
-			{
-				
-				while( (ent = wreaddir( dir )) )
+				case PROCESS_EXPAND:
+				case VARIABLE_EXPAND:
+				case VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE:
+				case BRACKET_BEGIN:
+				case BRACKET_END:
+				case BRACKET_SEP:
 				{
-					if( wcsncmp( ent->d_name, base, wcslen(base) ) == 0 )
-					{
-						res = 1;
-						break;
-					}
+					has_magic = 1;
+					break;		
 				}
-						
+				
+				case INTERNAL_SEPARATOR:
+				{
+					break;
+				}
+				
+				default:
+				{
+					*(out++) = *in;
+					break;
+				}
+				
+			}
+			
+		}
+		*out = 0;
+		
+		if( !has_magic && wcslen( unescaped ) )
+		{
+			int must_be_dir = 0;
+			DIR *dir;
+			must_be_dir = unescaped[wcslen(unescaped)-1] == L'/';
+			if( must_be_dir )
+			{
+				dir = wopendir( unescaped );
+				res = !!dir;
 				closedir( dir );
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				wchar_t *dir_name, *base;
+				struct wdirent *ent;
+				
+				dir_name = wdirname( halloc_wcsdup(context, unescaped) );
+				base = wbasename( halloc_wcsdup(context, unescaped) );			
+			
+				if( (wcscmp( dir_name, L"/" ) == 0 ) &&
+					(wcscmp( base, L"/" ) == 0 ) )
+				{
+					res = 1;
+				}
+				else if( (dir = wopendir( dir_name )) )
+				{
+					
+					while( (ent = wreaddir( dir )) )
+					{
+						if( wcsncmp( ent->d_name, base, wcslen(base) ) == 0 )
+						{
+							res = 1;
+							break;
+						}
+					}
+					
+					closedir( dir );
+				}
+			}
+			
 		}
-		
-	}
 	}
 	
 	halloc_free( context );
diff --git a/parser.c b/parser.c
index 4d6a3e147..e0236a5be 100644
--- a/parser.c
+++ b/parser.c
@@ -2721,91 +2721,103 @@ static int parser_test_argument( const wchar_t *arg, string_buffer_t *out, const
 	}
 
 	unesc = unescape( arg_cpy, 1 );
-	free( arg_cpy );
-
-	/*
-	  Check for invalid variable expansions
-	*/
-	for( pos = unesc; *pos; pos++ )
+	if( !unesc )
 	{
-		switch( *pos )
+		if( out )
 		{
-			case VARIABLE_EXPAND:
-			case VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE:
+			error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+				   offset,
+				   L"Invalid token '%ls'", arg_cpy );
+			print_errors( out, prefix);
+		}
+		return 1;
+	}
+	else
+	{	
+		/*
+		  Check for invalid variable expansions
+		*/
+		for( pos = unesc; *pos; pos++ )
+		{
+			switch( *pos )
 			{
-				switch( *(pos+1))
+				case VARIABLE_EXPAND:
+				case VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE:
 				{
-					case BRACKET_BEGIN:
+					switch( *(pos+1))
 					{
-						err=1;
-						if( out )
-						{
-							error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
-								   offset,
-								   COMPLETE_VAR_BRACKET_DESC );
-
-							print_errors( out, prefix);
-						}
-						break;
-					}
-
-					case INTERNAL_SEPARATOR:
-					{
-						err=1;
-						if( out )
-						{
-							error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
-								   offset,
-								   COMPLETE_VAR_PARAN_DESC );
-							print_errors( out, prefix);
-						}
-						break;
-					}
-
-					case 0:
-					{
-						err=1;
-						if( out )
-						{
-							error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
-								   offset,
-								   COMPLETE_VAR_NULL_DESC );
-							print_errors( out, prefix);
-						}
-						break;
-					}
-
-					default:
-					{
-						wchar_t n = *(pos+1);
-						
-						if( n != VARIABLE_EXPAND &&
-							n != VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE &&
-							!wcsvarchr(n) )
+						case BRACKET_BEGIN:
 						{
 							err=1;
 							if( out )
 							{
 								error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
 									   offset,
-									   COMPLETE_VAR_DESC,
-									   *(pos+1) );
+									   COMPLETE_VAR_BRACKET_DESC );
+
 								print_errors( out, prefix);
 							}
+							break;
 						}
+
+						case INTERNAL_SEPARATOR:
+						{
+							err=1;
+							if( out )
+							{
+								error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+									   offset,
+									   COMPLETE_VAR_PARAN_DESC );
+								print_errors( out, prefix);
+							}
+							break;
+						}
+
+						case 0:
+						{
+							err=1;
+							if( out )
+							{
+								error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+									   offset,
+									   COMPLETE_VAR_NULL_DESC );
+								print_errors( out, prefix);
+							}
+							break;
+						}
+
+						default:
+						{
+							wchar_t n = *(pos+1);
 						
-						break;
-					}
+							if( n != VARIABLE_EXPAND &&
+								n != VARIABLE_EXPAND_SINGLE &&
+								!wcsvarchr(n) )
+							{
+								err=1;
+								if( out )
+								{
+									error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+										   offset,
+										   COMPLETE_VAR_DESC,
+										   *(pos+1) );
+									print_errors( out, prefix);
+								}
+							}
+						
+							break;
+						}
 					
-				}
+					}
 				
-				break;
-			}
+					break;
+				}
+			}		
 		}
-		
-		
 	}
-	
+
+	free( arg_cpy );
+		
 	free( unesc );
 	return err;