diff --git a/src/tools/nom.rs b/src/tools/nom.rs
index 0b0fe816..ca03c5d7 100644
--- a/src/tools/nom.rs
+++ b/src/tools/nom.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ pub fn parse_u64(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, u64> {
     map_res(recognize(digit1), str::parse)(i)
 }
 
+/// Parse complete input, generate vervose error message with line numbers
 pub fn parse_complete<'a, F, O>(what: &str, i: &'a str, parser: F) -> Result<O, Error>
     where F: Fn(&'a str) -> IResult<&'a str, O>,
 {
@@ -56,3 +57,23 @@ pub fn parse_complete<'a, F, O>(what: &str, i: &'a str, parser: F) -> Result<O,
     }
 
 }
+
+/// Parse complete input, generate simple error message (use this for sinple line input).
+pub fn parse_complete_line<'a, F, O>(what: &str, i: &'a str, parser: F) -> Result<O, Error>
+    where F: Fn(&'a str) -> IResult<&'a str, O>,
+{
+    match all_consuming(parser)(i) {
+        Err(nom::Err::Error(VerboseError { errors })) |
+        Err(nom::Err::Failure(VerboseError { errors })) => {
+            if errors.is_empty() {
+                bail!("unable to parse {}", what);
+            } else {
+                bail!("unable to parse {} at '{}' - {:?}", what, errors[0].0, errors[0].1);
+            }
+        }
+        Err(err) => {
+            bail!("unable to parse {} - {}", what, err);
+        }
+        Ok((_, data)) => Ok(data),
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/systemd/parse_time.rs b/src/tools/systemd/parse_time.rs
index 00bcbfba..b1cbc38d 100644
--- a/src/tools/systemd/parse_time.rs
+++ b/src/tools/systemd/parse_time.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
-use anyhow::{bail, Error};
+use anyhow::{Error};
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 
 use super::time::*;
 
 use crate::tools::nom::{
-    parse_complete, parse_u64, parse_error, IResult,
+    parse_complete_line, parse_u64, parse_error, IResult,
 };
 
 use nom::{
     error::{context},
     bytes::complete::{tag, take_while1},
-    combinator::{map_res, all_consuming, opt, recognize},
+    combinator::{map_res, opt, recognize},
     sequence::{pair, preceded, tuple},
     character::complete::{alpha1, space0, digit1},
     multi::separated_nonempty_list,
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ fn parse_time_spec(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, (Vec<DateTimeValue>, Vec<DateTimeVa
 }
 
 pub fn parse_calendar_event(i: &str) -> Result<CalendarEvent, Error> {
-    parse_complete("calendar event", i, parse_calendar_event_incomplete)
+    parse_complete_line("calendar event", i, parse_calendar_event_incomplete)
 }
 
 fn parse_calendar_event_incomplete(mut i: &str) -> IResult<&str, CalendarEvent> {
@@ -269,10 +269,7 @@ fn parse_time_unit(i: &str) ->  IResult<&str, &str> {
 
 
 pub fn parse_time_span(i: &str) -> Result<TimeSpan, Error> {
-    match all_consuming(parse_time_span_incomplete)(i) {
-        Err(err) => bail!("unable to parse time span: {}", err),
-        Ok((_, ts)) => Ok(ts),
-    }
+    parse_complete_line("time span", i, parse_time_span_incomplete)
 }
 
 fn parse_time_span_incomplete(mut i: &str) -> IResult<&str, TimeSpan> {