diff --git a/src/libutil/error.cc b/src/libutil/error.cc
index 41fabbbcf..db8821a5c 100644
--- a/src/libutil/error.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/error.cc
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ ErrorInfo ErrorInfo::ProgramEI(ErrLevel level,
 
 string showErrLine(const ErrLine &errLine)
 {
-    if (errLine.columnRange.has_value()) {
-        return (format("(%1%:%2%)") % errLine.lineNumber % errLine.columnRange->start).str();
+    if (errLine.column > 0) {
+        return (format("(%1%:%2%)") % errLine.lineNumber % errLine.column).str();
     } else {
         return (format("(%1%)") % errLine.lineNumber).str();
     };
@@ -74,18 +74,14 @@ void printCodeLines(const string &prefix, const NixCode &nixCode)
                   << std::endl;
 
         // error arrows for the column range.
-        if (nixCode.errLine->columnRange.has_value()) {
-            int start = nixCode.errLine->columnRange->start;
+        if (nixCode.errLine->column > 0) {
+            int start = nixCode.errLine->column;
             std::string spaces;
             for (int i = 0; i < start; ++i) {
                 spaces.append(" ");
             }
 
-            int len = nixCode.errLine->columnRange->len;
-            std::string arrows;
-            for (int i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
-                arrows.append("^");
-            }
+            std::string arrows("^");
 
             std::cout << format("%1%      |%2%" ANSI_RED "%3%" ANSI_NORMAL) % prefix % spaces % arrows << std::endl;
         }
diff --git a/src/libutil/error.hh b/src/libutil/error.hh
index a8a1afbca..e3bb2c1dd 100644
--- a/src/libutil/error.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/error.hh
@@ -17,20 +17,13 @@ typedef enum {
     elError
 } ErrLevel;
 
-class ColumnRange
-{
-public:
-    unsigned int start;
-    unsigned int len;
-};
-
 class ErrorInfo;
 
 class ErrLine
 {
 public:
     int lineNumber;
-    std::optional<ColumnRange> columnRange;
+    int column;
     std::optional<string> prevLineOfCode;
     string errLineOfCode;
     std::optional<string> nextLineOfCode;
@@ -107,6 +100,8 @@ public:
 
     static std::optional<string> programName;
 
+    ErrorInfo& set_name(const string &name) { this->name = name; return *this; }
+
     static ErrorInfo ProgramError(const string &name,
                                   const string &description,
                                   const std::optional<hintformat> &hf);
@@ -165,7 +160,7 @@ private:
 
         ErrLine errline;
         errline.lineNumber = pos.line;
-        errline.columnRange = { .start = pos.column, .len = 1 };
+        errline.column = pos.column;
         errline.prevLineOfCode = prevloc;
         errline.errLineOfCode = loc;
         errline.nextLineOfCode = nextloc;