diff --git a/src/expr.c b/src/expr.c
index cc5cdced..2a2dbec7 100644
--- a/src/expr.c
+++ b/src/expr.c
@@ -2026,7 +2026,7 @@ static int make_atom(expr_node *atom, Var *locals)
     /* System Variable */
     if (*(s) == '$' && isalpha(*(s+1))) {
         if (!FindSysVar(s+1)) {
-            Eprint("`%s': %s", s, ErrMsg[E_NOSUCH_VAR]);
+            Eprint("%s: `%s'", ErrMsg[E_NOSUCH_VAR], s);
             return E_NOSUCH_VAR;
         }
         if (strlen(s+1) < SHORT_NAME_BUF) {
diff --git a/src/var.c b/src/var.c
index c8b43ea9..5a48452d 100644
--- a/src/var.c
+++ b/src/var.c
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ int GetVarValue(char const *str, Value *val)
     v=FindVar(str, 0);
 
     if (!v) {
-	Eprint("%s: %s", ErrMsg[E_NOSUCH_VAR], str);
+	Eprint("%s: `%s'", ErrMsg[E_NOSUCH_VAR], str);
 	return E_NOSUCH_VAR;
     }
     return CopyValue(val, &v->v);
diff --git a/tests/test.cmp b/tests/test.cmp
index 970e894a..9b36680b 100644
--- a/tests/test.cmp
+++ b/tests/test.cmp
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ a049 => 21
 substr(21, 2) => Type mismatch
 ../tests/test.rem(326): substr(): Type mismatch
 set a051 substr(a050, 2, 6)
-../tests/test.rem(327): Undefined variable: a050
+../tests/test.rem(327): Undefined variable: `a050'
 a050 => Undefined variable
 set a052 time(1+2, 3+4)
 1 + 2 => 3