diff --git a/builtin.c b/builtin.c
index e90dd2cf..3c3ac5bd 100644
--- a/builtin.c
+++ b/builtin.c
@@ -677,9 +677,9 @@ static const char* const jq_builtins[] = {
 };
 
 
-int builtins_bind_one(block* bb, const char* code) {
+static int builtins_bind_one(jq_state *jq, block* bb, const char* code) {
   struct locfile src;
-  locfile_init(&src, code, strlen(code));
+  locfile_init(&src, jq, code, strlen(code));
   block funcs;
   int nerrors = jq_parse_library(&src, &funcs);
   if (nerrors == 0) {
@@ -689,14 +689,14 @@ int builtins_bind_one(block* bb, const char* code) {
   return nerrors;
 }
 
-int slurp_lib(block* bb) {
+static int slurp_lib(jq_state *jq, block* bb) {
   int nerrors = 0;
   char* home = getenv("HOME");
   if (home) {    // silently ignore no $HOME
     jv filename = jv_string_append_str(jv_string(home), "/.jq");
     jv data = jv_load_file(jv_string_value(filename), 1);
     if (jv_is_valid(data)) {
-      nerrors = builtins_bind_one(bb, jv_string_value(data) );
+      nerrors = builtins_bind_one(jq, bb, jv_string_value(data) );
     }
     jv_free(filename);
     jv_free(data);
@@ -704,14 +704,14 @@ int slurp_lib(block* bb) {
   return nerrors;
 }
 
-int builtins_bind(block* bb) {
-  int nerrors = slurp_lib(bb);
+int builtins_bind(jq_state *jq, block* bb) {
+  int nerrors = slurp_lib(jq, bb);
   if (nerrors) {
     block_free(*bb);
     return nerrors;
   }
   for (int i=(int)(sizeof(jq_builtins)/sizeof(jq_builtins[0]))-1; i>=0; i--) {
-    nerrors = builtins_bind_one(bb, jq_builtins[i]);
+    nerrors = builtins_bind_one(jq, bb, jq_builtins[i]);
     assert(!nerrors);
   }
   *bb = bind_bytecoded_builtins(*bb);
diff --git a/builtin.h b/builtin.h
index 1aab133f..bca9bae1 100644
--- a/builtin.h
+++ b/builtin.h
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef BUILTIN_H
 #define BUILTIN_H
 
+#include "jq.h"
 #include "bytecode.h"
 #include "compile.h"
 
-int builtins_bind(block*);
+int builtins_bind(jq_state *, block*);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/execute.c b/execute.c
index 4b05d793..4ed20d8d 100644
--- a/execute.c
+++ b/execute.c
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -19,6 +21,9 @@ struct jq_state {
   void *nomem_handler_data;
   struct bytecode* bc;
 
+  jq_err_cb err_cb;
+  void *err_cb_data;
+
   struct stack stk;
   stack_ptr curr_frame;
   stack_ptr stk_top;
@@ -238,15 +243,22 @@ static void jq_reset(jq_state *jq) {
   jq->subexp_nest = 0;
 }
 
-
-
-
-void print_error(jv value) {
+static void print_error(jq_state *jq, jv value) {
   assert(!jv_is_valid(value));
   jv msg = jv_invalid_get_msg(value);
-  if (jv_get_kind(msg) == JV_KIND_STRING) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "jq: error: %s\n", jv_string_value(msg));
-  }
+  jv msg2;
+  if (jv_get_kind(msg) == JV_KIND_STRING)
+    msg2 = jv_string_fmt("jq: error: %s", jv_string_value(msg));
+  else
+    msg2 = jv_string_fmt("jq: error: <unknown>");
+  jv_free(msg);
+
+  if (jq->err_cb)
+    jq->err_cb(jq->err_cb_data, msg2);
+  else if (jv_get_kind(msg2) == JV_KIND_STRING)
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", jv_string_value(msg2));
+  else
+    fprintf(stderr, "jq: error: %s\n", strerror(ENOMEM));
   jv_free(msg);
 }
 #define ON_BACKTRACK(op) ((op)+NUM_OPCODES)
@@ -368,8 +380,8 @@ jv jq_next(jq_state *jq) {
         stack_push(jq, jv_object_set(objv, k, v));
         stack_push(jq, stktop);
       } else {
-        print_error(jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Cannot use %s as object key",
-                                                      jv_kind_name(jv_get_kind(k)))));
+        print_error(jq, jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Cannot use %s as object key",
+                                                          jv_kind_name(jv_get_kind(k)))));
         jv_free(stktop);
         jv_free(v);
         jv_free(k);
@@ -387,7 +399,7 @@ jv jq_next(jq_state *jq) {
       jv max = stack_pop(jq);
       if (jv_get_kind(*var) != JV_KIND_NUMBER ||
           jv_get_kind(max) != JV_KIND_NUMBER) {
-        print_error(jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Range bounds must be numeric")));
+        print_error(jq, jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Range bounds must be numeric")));
         jv_free(max);
         goto do_backtrack;
       } else if (jv_number_value(jv_copy(*var)) >= jv_number_value(jv_copy(max))) {
@@ -499,7 +511,7 @@ jv jq_next(jq_state *jq) {
       if (jv_is_valid(v)) {
         stack_push(jq, v);
       } else {
-        print_error(v);
+        print_error(jq, v);
         goto do_backtrack;
       }
       break;
@@ -552,8 +564,8 @@ jv jq_next(jq_state *jq) {
         }
       } else {
         assert(opcode == EACH);
-        print_error(jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Cannot iterate over %s",
-                                                      jv_kind_name(jv_get_kind(container)))));
+        print_error(jq, jv_invalid_with_msg(jv_string_fmt("Cannot iterate over %s",
+                                                          jv_kind_name(jv_get_kind(container)))));
         keep_going = 0;
       }
 
@@ -624,7 +636,7 @@ jv jq_next(jq_state *jq) {
       if (jv_is_valid(top)) {
         stack_push(jq, top);
       } else {
-        print_error(top);
+        print_error(jq, top);
         goto do_backtrack;
       }
       break;
@@ -682,10 +694,23 @@ jq_state *jq_init(void) {
   jq->fork_top = 0;
   jq->curr_frame = 0;
 
+  jq->err_cb = NULL;
+  jq->err_cb_data = NULL;
+
   jq->path = jv_null();
   return jq;
 }
 
+void jq_set_error_cb(jq_state *jq, jq_err_cb cb, void *data) {
+  jq->err_cb = cb;
+  jq->err_cb_data = data;
+}
+
+void jq_get_error_cb(jq_state *jq, jq_err_cb *cb, void **data) {
+  *cb = jq->err_cb;
+  *data = jq->err_cb_data;
+}
+
 void jq_set_nomem_handler(jq_state *jq, void (*nomem_handler)(void *), void *data) {
   jv_nomem_handler(nomem_handler, data);
   jq->nomem_handler = nomem_handler;
@@ -729,7 +754,7 @@ int jq_compile_args(jq_state *jq, const char* str, jv args) {
   jv_nomem_handler(jq->nomem_handler, jq->nomem_handler_data);
   assert(jv_get_kind(args) == JV_KIND_ARRAY);
   struct locfile locations;
-  locfile_init(&locations, str, strlen(str));
+  locfile_init(&locations, jq, str, strlen(str));
   block program;
   jq_reset(jq);
   if (jq->bc) {
@@ -746,13 +771,21 @@ int jq_compile_args(jq_state *jq, const char* str, jv args) {
       jv_free(name);
     }
     jv_free(args);
-    nerrors = builtins_bind(&program);
+    nerrors = builtins_bind(jq, &program);
     if (nerrors == 0) {
       nerrors = block_compile(program, &locations, &jq->bc);
     }
   }
   if (nerrors) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%d compile %s\n", nerrors, nerrors > 1 ? "errors" : "error");
+    jv s = jv_string_fmt("%d compile %s", nerrors,
+                         nerrors > 1 ? "errors" : "error");
+    if (jq->err_cb != NULL)
+      jq->err_cb(jq->err_cb_data, s);
+    else if (!jv_is_valid(s))
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error formatting jq compilation errors: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+    else
+      fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", jv_string_value(s));
+    jv_free(s);
   }
   locfile_free(&locations);
   return jq->bc != NULL;
diff --git a/jq.h b/jq.h
index e35845c6..66b79387 100644
--- a/jq.h
+++ b/jq.h
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 #ifndef _JQ_H_
 #define _JQ_H_
 
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <jv.h>
 
 enum {JQ_DEBUG_TRACE = 1};
 
 typedef struct jq_state jq_state;
+typedef void (*jq_err_cb)(void *, jv);
+
 jq_state *jq_init(void);
+void jq_set_error_cb(jq_state *, jq_err_cb, void *);
+void jq_get_error_cb(jq_state *, jq_err_cb *, void **);
 void jq_set_nomem_handler(jq_state *, void (*)(void *), void *);
 int jq_compile(jq_state *, const char* str);
 int jq_compile_args(jq_state *, const char* str, jv args);
diff --git a/locfile.c b/locfile.c
index f1f17d0f..48cacd6f 100644
--- a/locfile.c
+++ b/locfile.c
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <assert.h>
-#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include "jq.h"
 #include "jv_alloc.h"
 #include "locfile.h"
 
 
-void locfile_init(struct locfile* l, const char* data, int length) {
+void locfile_init(struct locfile* l, jq_state *jq, const char* data, int length) {
+  l->jq = jq;
   l->data = data;
   l->length = length;
   l->nlines = 1;
@@ -43,23 +47,57 @@ static int locfile_line_length(struct locfile* l, int line) {
 }
 
 void locfile_locate(struct locfile* l, location loc, const char* fmt, ...) {
+  jq_err_cb cb;
+  void *cb_data;
   va_list fmtargs;
   va_start(fmtargs, fmt);
-  vfprintf(stderr, fmt, fmtargs);
-  va_end(fmtargs);
-  fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+  int startline;
+  int offset;
+
+  if (loc.start != -1) {
+    startline = locfile_get_line(l, loc.start);
+    offset = l->linemap[startline];
+  }
+
+  jq_get_error_cb(l->jq, &cb, &cb_data);
+
+  jv m1 = jv_string_vfmt(fmt, fmtargs);
+  if (!jv_is_valid(m1)) {
+    jv_free(m1);
+    goto enomem;
+  }
+  jv m2;
   if (loc.start == -1) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "<unknown location>\n");
+    m2 = jv_string_fmt("%s\n<unknown location>", jv_string_value(m1));
+    if (cb)
+      cb(cb_data, m2);
+    else
+      fprintf(stderr, "%s", jv_string_value(m2));
+    jv_free(m1);
+    jv_free(m2);
     return;
   }
-  int startline = locfile_get_line(l, loc.start);
-  int offset = l->linemap[startline];
-  fprintf(stderr, "%.*s\n", locfile_line_length(l, startline), l->data + offset);
-  fprintf(stderr, "%*s", loc.start - offset, "");
-  for (int i = loc.start; 
-       i < loc.end && i < offset + locfile_line_length(l, startline);
-       i++){
-    fprintf(stderr, "^");
+  m2 = jv_string_fmt("%s\n%.*s%*s", jv_string_value(m1),
+                     locfile_line_length(l, startline), l->data + offset,
+                     loc.start - offset, "");
+  jv_free(m1);
+  if (!jv_is_valid(m2)) {
+    jv_free(m2);
+    goto enomem;
   }
-  fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+  if (cb)
+    cb(cb_data, m2);
+  else
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s", jv_string_value(m2));
+  jv_free(m2);
+  return;
+
+enomem:
+  if (cb != NULL)
+    cb(cb_data, jv_invalid());
+  else if (errno == ENOMEM || errno == 0)
+    vfprintf(stderr, "Error formatting jq compilation error: %s", strerror(errno ? errno : ENOMEM));
+  else
+    vfprintf(stderr, "Error formatting jq compilation error: %s", strerror(errno));
+  return;
 }
diff --git a/locfile.h b/locfile.h
index 35907974..4e20df27 100644
--- a/locfile.h
+++ b/locfile.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef _LOCFILE_H
 #define _LOCFILE_H
 
+#include "jq.h"
+
 typedef struct {
   int start, end;
 } location;
@@ -12,9 +14,11 @@ struct locfile {
   int length;
   int* linemap;
   int nlines;
+  char *error;
+  jq_state *jq;
 };
 
-void locfile_init(struct locfile* l, const char* data, int length);
+void locfile_init(struct locfile* l, jq_state *jq, const char* data, int length);
 
 void locfile_free(struct locfile* l);