diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index 95548be..193c4d6 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "debug.h"
 
-#define PMSG(t, x) fprintf(stderr, t ":%s:%d: " x "\n", path, line)
+#define PMSG(t, x) fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d:%d: " t ": " x "\n", path, line, col)
 
 #define BUF_STORE(name, len) { \
     if (i >= len) { \
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ config_t *
 parse_config(char *path)
 {
     FILE *fd;
-    int res, state, line, ws, comment, err, i;
+    int res, state, line, ws, comment, err, i, col;
 #define ST_FILENAME     0
 #define ST_EXT          1
 #define ST_START        2
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ parse_config(char *path)
     memset(conf, 0, sizeof(config_t));
 
     state = ST_FILENAME;
-    line = 1;
+    line = col = 1;
     ws = comment = err = 0;
     i = 0;
     while ((ch = getc(fd)) != EOF) {
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ parse_config(char *path)
                 i = 0;
                 ws = 1;
                 state++;
+                DPRINTF(("%s:%d:%d: switching to state %d\n", path, line, col, state));
                 switch (state) {
                 /* convert offsets to uint32_t (or close enough) */
                 case ST_START:
@@ -93,22 +95,28 @@ parse_config(char *path)
             (void)getc(fd);
         /* FALLTHROUGH */
         case '\n':
-            cur->next = malloc(sizeof(config_t));
-            if (cur == NULL) {
-                perror("couldn't allocate config");
-                err = 1;
-                break;
-            }
+            /*
+             * Only start a new struct if we didn't have a comment at the
+             * beginning of a line.
+             */
+            if (state != ST_FILENAME || !comment) {
+                cur->next = malloc(sizeof(config_t));
+                if (cur == NULL) {
+                    perror("couldn't allocate config");
+                    err = 1;
+                    break;
+                }
+                if (state != ST_OPTS) {
+                    PMSG("warn", "line ends early");
+                }
 
-            if (state != ST_OPTS) {
-                PMSG("warn", "line ends early");
+                cur = cur->next;
+                memset(cur, 0, sizeof(config_t));
             }
 
             /* reset state for next line */
             state = ST_FILENAME;
-            cur = cur->next;
-            memset(cur, 0, sizeof(config_t));
-            ws = i = comment = 0;
+            ws = col = i = comment = 0;
             line++;
             break;
         case '#':
@@ -142,20 +150,27 @@ parse_config(char *path)
                 break;
             case ST_START:
                 BUF_STORE("start byte", 10);
+                break;
             case ST_END:
                 BUF_STORE("end byte", 10);
+                break;
             case ST_SKIP_A:
                 BUF_STORE("first byte skip", 10);
+                break;
             case ST_SKIP_B:
                 BUF_STORE("second byte skip", 10);
+                break;
             case ST_OPTS:
                 BUF_STORE("option string", 31);
+                break;
             default:
                 PMSG("error", "too many columns");
                 err = 1;
             }
         }
 
+        col++;
+
         if (err)
             break;
     }