diff --git a/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/LLmessage.c b/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/LLmessage.c
index 8e89113ae..1f952c535 100644
--- a/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/LLmessage.c
+++ b/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/LLmessage.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ LLmessage(tk)	{
 		error("end of file expected");
 	}
 	else if (tk)	{
-		error("%s missing", symbol2str(tk));
+		error("%s missing before %s", symbol2str(tk), symbol2str(DOT));
 		insert_token(tk);
 	}
 	else	{
diff --git a/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/make.tokcase b/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/make.tokcase
index 90205c691..f121c3ec4 100755
--- a/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/make.tokcase
+++ b/lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/make.tokcase
@@ -1,19 +1,17 @@
 cat <<'--EOT--'
 /* Generated by make.tokcase */
-/* $Header: */
+/* $Header$ */
 #include "Lpars.h"
 
 char *
 symbol2str(tok)
 	int tok;
 {
-	static char buf[2] = { '\0', '\0' };
+#define SIZBUF	8
+	/* allow for a few invocations in f.i. an argument list */
+	static char buf[SIZBUF];
+	static int index;
 
-	if (040 <= tok && tok < 0177) {
-		buf[0] = tok;
-		buf[1] = '\0';
-		return buf;
-	}
 	switch (tok) {
 --EOT--
 
@@ -24,15 +22,19 @@ s/.*{\(.*\),.*\(".*"\).*$/	case \1 :\
 '
 
 cat <<'--EOT--'
+	default:
+		if (tok < 040 || tok >= 0177) {
+			return "bad token";
+		}
+		/* fall through */
 	case '\n':
 	case '\f':
 	case '\v':
 	case '\r':
 	case '\t':
-		buf[0] = tok;
-		return buf;
-	default:
-		return "bad token";
+		index = (index+2) & (SIZBUF-1);
+		buf[index] = tok;
+		return &buf[index];
 	}
 }
 --EOT--