diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser.go
index 28ac4f18..47226290 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (p *expressionParserImpl) createExpressionTree(postFixPath []*Operation) (*
 		stack = append(stack, &newNode)
 	}
 	if len(stack) != 1 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Bad expression, please check expression syntax")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("bad expression, please check expression syntax")
 	}
 	return stack[0], nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser_test.go
index 4c89d207..2718a16a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_parser_test.go
@@ -11,33 +11,38 @@ func getExpressionParser() ExpressionParserInterface {
 	return ExpressionParser
 }
 
+func TestParserNoMatchingCloseBracket(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(".cat | with(.;.bob")
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression - probably missing close bracket on WITH", err.Error())
+}
+
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseCollect(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression("[1,2")
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `]`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `]`", err.Error())
 }
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseObjectInCollect(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(`[{"b": "c"]`)
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `}`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `}`", err.Error())
 }
 
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseInCollect(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(`[(.a]`)
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `)`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `)`", err.Error())
 }
 
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseCollectObject(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(`{"a": "b"`)
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `}`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `}`", err.Error())
 }
 
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseCollectInCollectObject(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(`{"b": [1}`)
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `]`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `]`", err.Error())
 }
 
 func TestParserNoMatchingCloseBracketInCollectObject(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(`{"b": (1}`)
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, could not find matching `)`", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, could not find matching `)`", err.Error())
 }
 
 func TestParserNoArgsForTwoArgOp(t *testing.T) {
@@ -72,5 +77,5 @@ func TestParserOneArgForOneArgOp(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestParserExtraArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression("sortKeys(.) explode(.)")
-	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "Bad expression, please check expression syntax", err.Error())
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "bad expression, please check expression syntax", err.Error())
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
index e875d8f9..fa7afa33 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ func popOpToResult(opStack []*token, result []*Operation) ([]*token, []*Operatio
 
 func validateNoOpenTokens(token *token) error {
 	if token.TokenType == openCollect {
-		return fmt.Errorf(("Bad expression, could not find matching `]`"))
+		return fmt.Errorf(("bad expression, could not find matching `]`"))
 	} else if token.TokenType == openCollectObject {
-		return fmt.Errorf(("Bad expression, could not find matching `}`"))
+		return fmt.Errorf(("bad expression, could not find matching `}`"))
 	} else if token.TokenType == openBracket {
-		return fmt.Errorf(("Bad expression, could not find matching `)`"))
+		return fmt.Errorf(("bad expression, could not find matching `)`"))
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func (p *expressionPostFixerImpl) ConvertToPostfix(infixTokens []*token) ([]*Ope
 				opStack, result = popOpToResult(opStack, result)
 			}
 			if len(opStack) == 0 {
-				return nil, errors.New("Bad path expression, got close brackets without matching opening bracket")
+				return nil, errors.New("bad expression, got close brackets without matching opening bracket")
 			}
 			// now we should have ( as the last element on the opStack, get rid of it
 			opStack = opStack[0 : len(opStack)-1]
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ func (p *expressionPostFixerImpl) ConvertToPostfix(infixTokens []*token) ([]*Ope
 	}
 
 	log.Debugf("opstackLen: %v", len(opStack))
+	if len(opStack) > 0 {
+		log.Debugf("opstack:")
+		for _, token := range opStack {
+			log.Debugf("- %v", token.toString(true))
+		}
+
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("bad expression - probably missing close bracket on %v", opStack[len(opStack)-1].toString(false))
+	}
 
 	if log.IsEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG) {
 		log.Debugf("PostFix Result:")