diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 749af0db94e7..2994cb41e0e4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@
 extern int parse_events_debug;
 #endif
 int parse_events_parse(void *data, void *scanner);
+int parse_events_term__num(struct parse_events_term **term,
+			   int type_term, char *config, u64 num,
+			   YYLTYPE *loc_term, YYLTYPE *loc_val);
+int parse_events_term__str(struct parse_events_term **term,
+			   int type_term, char *config, char *str,
+			   YYLTYPE *loc_term, YYLTYPE *loc_val);
 
 static struct perf_pmu_event_symbol *perf_pmu_events_list;
 /*
@@ -1542,7 +1548,7 @@ int parse_events__is_hardcoded_term(struct parse_events_term *term)
 
 static int new_term(struct parse_events_term **_term, int type_val,
 		    int type_term, char *config,
-		    char *str, u64 num)
+		    char *str, u64 num, int err_term, int err_val)
 {
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
@@ -1554,6 +1560,8 @@ static int new_term(struct parse_events_term **_term, int type_val,
 	term->type_val  = type_val;
 	term->type_term = type_term;
 	term->config = config;
+	term->err_term = err_term;
+	term->err_val  = err_val;
 
 	switch (type_val) {
 	case PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_NUM:
@@ -1572,17 +1580,23 @@ static int new_term(struct parse_events_term **_term, int type_val,
 }
 
 int parse_events_term__num(struct parse_events_term **term,
-			   int type_term, char *config, u64 num)
+			   int type_term, char *config, u64 num,
+			   YYLTYPE *loc_term, YYLTYPE *loc_val)
 {
 	return new_term(term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_NUM, type_term,
-			config, NULL, num);
+			config, NULL, num,
+			loc_term ? loc_term->first_column : 0,
+			loc_val ? loc_val->first_column : 0);
 }
 
 int parse_events_term__str(struct parse_events_term **term,
-			   int type_term, char *config, char *str)
+			   int type_term, char *config, char *str,
+			   YYLTYPE *loc_term, YYLTYPE *loc_val)
 {
 	return new_term(term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_STR, type_term,
-			config, str, 0);
+			config, str, 0,
+			loc_term ? loc_term->first_column : 0,
+			loc_val ? loc_val->first_column : 0);
 }
 
 int parse_events_term__sym_hw(struct parse_events_term **term,
@@ -1596,18 +1610,20 @@ int parse_events_term__sym_hw(struct parse_events_term **term,
 	if (config)
 		return new_term(term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_STR,
 				PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER, config,
-				(char *) sym->symbol, 0);
+				(char *) sym->symbol, 0, 0, 0);
 	else
 		return new_term(term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_STR,
 				PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-				(char *) "event", (char *) sym->symbol, 0);
+				(char *) "event", (char *) sym->symbol,
+				0, 0, 0);
 }
 
 int parse_events_term__clone(struct parse_events_term **new,
 			     struct parse_events_term *term)
 {
 	return new_term(new, term->type_val, term->type_term, term->config,
-			term->val.str, term->val.num);
+			term->val.str, term->val.num,
+			term->err_term, term->err_val);
 }
 
 void parse_events__free_terms(struct list_head *terms)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
index 76ea3de288da..6286ffdf2295 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ struct parse_events_term {
 	int type_term;
 	struct list_head list;
 	bool used;
+
+	/* error string indexes for within parsed string */
+	int err_term;
+	int err_val;
 };
 
 struct parse_events_error {
@@ -94,10 +98,6 @@ struct parse_events_terms {
 };
 
 int parse_events__is_hardcoded_term(struct parse_events_term *term);
-int parse_events_term__num(struct parse_events_term **_term,
-			   int type_term, char *config, u64 num);
-int parse_events_term__str(struct parse_events_term **_term,
-			   int type_term, char *config, char *str);
 int parse_events_term__sym_hw(struct parse_events_term **term,
 			      char *config, unsigned idx);
 int parse_events_term__clone(struct parse_events_term **new,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
index 84596617b355..486247739a39 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ PE_KERNEL_PMU_EVENT sep_dc
 
 	ALLOC_LIST(head);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-					$1, 1));
+					$1, 1, &@1, NULL));
 	list_add_tail(&term->list, head);
 
 	ALLOC_LIST(list);
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ PE_PMU_EVENT_PRE '-' PE_PMU_EVENT_SUF sep_dc
 
 	ALLOC_LIST(head);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-					&pmu_name, 1));
+					&pmu_name, 1, &@1, NULL));
 	list_add_tail(&term->list, head);
 
 	ALLOC_LIST(list);
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ PE_NAME '=' PE_NAME
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__str(&term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-					$1, $3));
+					$1, $3, &@1, &@3));
 	$$ = term;
 }
 |
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ PE_NAME '=' PE_VALUE
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-					$1, $3));
+					$1, $3, &@1, &@3));
 	$$ = term;
 }
 |
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ PE_NAME
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_USER,
-					$1, 1));
+					$1, 1, &@1, NULL));
 	$$ = term;
 }
 |
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ PE_TERM '=' PE_NAME
 {
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
-	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__str(&term, (int)$1, NULL, $3));
+	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__str(&term, (int)$1, NULL, $3, &@1, &@3));
 	$$ = term;
 }
 |
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ PE_TERM '=' PE_VALUE
 {
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
-	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, (int)$1, NULL, $3));
+	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, (int)$1, NULL, $3, &@1, &@3));
 	$$ = term;
 }
 |
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ PE_TERM
 {
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
-	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, (int)$1, NULL, 1));
+	ABORT_ON(parse_events_term__num(&term, (int)$1, NULL, 1, &@1, NULL));
 	$$ = term;
 }