diff --git a/apps/rebar/rebar.config b/apps/rebar/rebar.config
index 157432570..2d23451c6 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/rebar.config
+++ b/apps/rebar/rebar.config
@@ -88,3 +88,4 @@
             ]}
            ]}.
 
+{compiler_error_format, rich}.
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar.hrl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar.hrl
index 3931620f6..fa6f2bda2 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar.hrl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar.hrl
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 -define(DEFAULT_CDN, "https://repo.hex.pm").
 -define(LOCK_FILE, "rebar.lock").
 -define(DEFAULT_COMPILER_SOURCE_FORMAT, relative).
+-define(DEFAULT_COMPILER_ERROR_FORMAT, minimal). % 'rich' for multiline values
 -define(PACKAGE_INDEX_VERSION, 6).
 -define(PACKAGE_TABLE, package_index).
 -define(INDEX_FILE, "packages.idx").
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_base_compiler.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_base_compiler.erl
index 0a62d22f9..e3f557990 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_base_compiler.erl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_base_compiler.erl
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
          run/8,
          ok_tuple/2,
          error_tuple/4,
+         error_tuple/5,
          report/1,
          maybe_report/1,
          format_error_source/2]).
@@ -139,8 +140,18 @@ ok_tuple(Source, Ws) ->
       Err :: string(),
       Warn :: string().
 error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Opts) ->
-    {error, format_errors(Source, Es),
-     format_warnings(Source, Ws, Opts)}.
+    {error, format_errors(Source, Es, []),
+     format_warnings(Source, Ws, dict:new(), Opts)}.
+
+%% @doc format error and warning strings for a given source file
+%% according to user preferences.
+-spec error_tuple(file:filename(), [Err], [Warn], rebar_dict(), [{_,_}]) ->
+    error_tuple() when
+      Err :: string(),
+      Warn :: string().
+error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Config, Opts) ->
+    {error, format_errors(Source, Es, Config),
+     format_warnings(Source, Ws, Config, Opts)}.
 
 %% @doc from a given path, and based on the user-provided options,
 %% format the file path according to the preferences.
@@ -208,19 +219,19 @@ compile_each([Source | Rest], Config, CompileFn) ->
     compile_each(Rest, Config, CompileFn).
 
 %% @private Formats and returns errors ready to be output.
--spec format_errors(string(), [err_or_warn()]) -> [string()].
-format_errors(Source, Errors) ->
-    format_errors(Source, "", Errors).
+-spec format_errors(string(), [err_or_warn()], rebar_dict() | [{_,_}]) -> [string()].
+format_errors(Source, Errors, Opts) ->
+    format_errors(Source, "", Errors, Opts).
 
 %% @private Formats and returns warning strings ready to be output.
 -spec format_warnings(string(), [err_or_warn()]) -> [string()].
 format_warnings(Source, Warnings) ->
-    format_warnings(Source, Warnings, []).
+    format_warnings(Source, Warnings, dict:new(), []).
 
 %% @private Formats and returns warnings; chooses the distinct format they
 %% may have based on whether `warnings_as_errors' option is on.
--spec format_warnings(string(), [err_or_warn()], rebar_dict() | [{_,_}]) -> [string()].
-format_warnings(Source, Warnings, Opts) ->
+-spec format_warnings(string(), [err_or_warn()], rebar_dict(), rebar_dict() | [{_,_}]) -> [string()].
+format_warnings(Source, Warnings, Config, Opts) ->
     %% `Opts' can be passed in both as a list or a dictionary depending
     %% on whether the first call to rebar_erlc_compiler was done with
     %% the type `rebar_dict()' or `rebar_state:t()'.
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ format_warnings(Source, Warnings, Opts) ->
                  true -> "";
                  false -> "Warning: "
              end,
-    format_errors(Source, Prefix, Warnings).
+    format_errors(Source, Prefix, Warnings, Config).
 
 %% @private output compiler errors if they're judged to be reportable.
 -spec maybe_report(Reportable | term()) -> ok when
@@ -254,16 +265,16 @@ report(Messages) ->
     lists:foreach(fun(Msg) -> io:format("~ts~n", [Msg]) end, Messages).
 
 %% private format compiler errors into proper outputtable strings
--spec format_errors(_, Extra, [err_or_warn()]) -> [string()] when
+-spec format_errors(_, Extra, [err_or_warn()], rebar_dict() | [{_,_}]) -> [string()] when
       Extra :: string().
-format_errors(_MainSource, Extra, Errors) ->
-    [[format_error(Source, Extra, Desc) || Desc <- Descs]
+format_errors(_MainSource, Extra, Errors, Opts) ->
+    [[format_error(Source, Extra, Desc, Opts) || Desc <- Descs]
      || {Source, Descs} <- Errors].
 
 %% @private format compiler errors into proper outputtable strings
--spec format_error(file:filename(), Extra, err_or_warn()) -> string() when
+-spec format_error(file:filename(), Extra, err_or_warn(), rebar_dict() | [{_,_}]) -> string() when
       Extra :: string().
-format_error(Source, Extra, {Line, Mod=epp, Desc={include,lib,File}}) ->
+format_error(Source, Extra, {Line, Mod=epp, Desc={include,lib,File}}, _Opts) ->
     %% Special case for include file errors, overtaking the default one
     BaseDesc = Mod:format_error(Desc),
     Friendly = case filename:split(File) of
@@ -275,12 +286,13 @@ format_error(Source, Extra, {Line, Mod=epp, Desc={include,lib,File}}) ->
     end,
     FriendlyDesc = BaseDesc ++ Friendly,
     ?FMT("~ts:~w: ~ts~ts~n", [Source, Line, Extra, FriendlyDesc]);
-format_error(Source, Extra, {{Line, Column}, Mod, Desc}) ->
+format_error(Source, Extra, {{Line, Column}, Mod, Desc}, Opts) ->
     ErrorDesc = Mod:format_error(Desc),
-    ?FMT("~ts:~w:~w: ~ts~ts~n", [Source, Line, Column, Extra, ErrorDesc]);
-format_error(Source, Extra, {Line, Mod, Desc}) ->
+    rebar_compiler_format:format(Source, {Line, Column}, Extra, ErrorDesc, Opts);
+format_error(Source, Extra, {Line, Mod, Desc}, _Opts) ->
     ErrorDesc = Mod:format_error(Desc),
     ?FMT("~ts:~w: ~ts~ts~n", [Source, Line, Extra, ErrorDesc]);
-format_error(Source, Extra, {Mod, Desc}) ->
+format_error(Source, Extra, {Mod, Desc}, _Opts) ->
     ErrorDesc = Mod:format_error(Desc),
     ?FMT("~ts: ~ts~ts~n", [Source, Extra, ErrorDesc]).
+
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler.erl
index 39f1d3354..d4f7e38e2 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler.erl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler.erl
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
          needs_compile/3,
          ok_tuple/2,
          error_tuple/4,
+         error_tuple/5,
          maybe_report/1,
          format_error_source/2,
          report/1]).
@@ -130,6 +131,9 @@ ok_tuple(Source, Ws) ->
 error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Opts) ->
     rebar_base_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Opts).
 
+error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Config, Opts) ->
+    rebar_base_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Config, Opts).
+
 maybe_report(Reportable) ->
     rebar_base_compiler:maybe_report(Reportable).
 
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_erl.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_erl.erl
index 6b4b52257..57bd685d8 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_erl.erl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_erl.erl
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ clean(Files, AppInfo) ->
 error_tuple(Module, Es, Ws, AllOpts, Opts) ->
     FormattedEs = format_error_sources(Es, AllOpts),
     FormattedWs = format_error_sources(Ws, AllOpts),
-    rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Module, FormattedEs, FormattedWs, Opts).
+    rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Module, FormattedEs, FormattedWs, AllOpts, Opts).
 
 format_error_sources(Es, Opts) ->
     [{rebar_compiler:format_error_source(Src, Opts), Desc}
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_format.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_format.erl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8992a67b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_format.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+%%% @doc Module handling rich formatting of errors.
+-module(rebar_compiler_format).
+-export([format/5]).
+
+-include("rebar.hrl").
+
+-spec format(file:filename_all(), {Line, Column}, Extra, Desc, rebar_dict()) ->
+    string() when
+        Extra :: iodata(),
+        Line :: non_neg_integer(),
+        Column :: non_neg_integer(),
+        Desc :: iodata().
+format(Source, {Line, Column}, Extra, Desc, Config) ->
+    CompilerErrFmt = compiler_error_format(Config),
+    case CompilerErrFmt == rich andalso find_line(Line, Source) of
+        {ok, LnBin} ->
+            LnPad = lists:duplicate(length(integer_to_list(Line)), " "),
+            Arrow = cf:format("~!R~ts~!!",["╰──"]),
+            ?FMT(" ~ts ┌─ ~ts:~n"
+                 " ~ts │~n"
+                  " ~w │  ~ts~n"
+                 " ~ts │  ~s~ts ~ts~ts~n~n",
+                 [LnPad, Source,
+                  LnPad,
+                  Line, colorize(LnBin, Column),
+                  LnPad, lists:duplicate(max(0, Column-1), " "), Arrow, Extra, Desc]);
+        _ ->
+            ?FMT("~ts:~w:~w: ~ts~ts~n", [Source, Line, Column, Extra, Desc])
+    end.
+
+find_line(Nth, Source) ->
+  try
+      {ok, Bin} = file:read_file(Source),
+      Splits = re:split(Bin, "(?:\n|\r\n|\r)", [{newline, anycrlf}]),
+      {ok, lists:nth(Nth, Splits)}
+  catch
+      error:X -> {error, X}
+  end.
+
+compiler_error_format(Opts) ->
+    %% `Opts' can be passed in both as a list or a dictionary depending
+    %% on whether the first call to rebar_erlc_compiler was done with
+    %% the type `rebar_dict()' or `rebar_state:t()'.
+    LookupFn = if is_list(Opts) -> fun(K,L) -> lists:keyfind(K, 1, L) end
+                ; true          -> fun(K,O) -> rebar_opts:get(O, K, false) end
+               end,
+    case LookupFn(compiler_error_format, Opts) of
+        false -> ?DEFAULT_COMPILER_ERROR_FORMAT;
+        {ok, minimal} -> minimal;
+        {ok, rich} -> rich;
+        minimal -> minimal;
+        rich -> rich
+    end.
+
+%% @private try to colorize data based on common ways to end terminators
+%% in Erlang-like languages. Any character that isn't one of the following
+%% is considered to end a "word" of some type:
+%%
+%% - letters
+%% - numbers
+%% - underscore
+%% - quotations
+%%
+%% This will have false positives in some cases and if that becomes annoying
+%% we'll need to allow per-compiler module configurations here, but it should
+%% generally lead to proper colorization.
+colorize(Str, Col) ->
+    Pre = string:slice(Str, 0, max(0,Col-1)),
+    At = string:slice(Str, max(0,Col-1)),
+    [Bad | Tail] = [B || B <- re:split(At, "([^[A-Za-z0-9_#\"]+)", []),
+                         B =/= <<>>],
+    cf:format("~ts~!R~ts~!!~ts", [Pre,Bad,Tail]).
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_xrl.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_xrl.erl
index 35447ed13..3d3390cb1 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_xrl.erl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_xrl.erl
@@ -34,14 +34,14 @@ needed_files(_, FoundFiles, Mappings, AppInfo) ->
 dependencies(_, _, _) ->
     [].
 
-compile(Source, [{_, _}], _, Opts) ->
+compile(Source, [{_, _}], Config, Opts) ->
     case leex:file(Source, [{return, true} | Opts]) of
         {ok, _} ->
             ok;
         {ok, _Mod, Ws} ->
             rebar_compiler:ok_tuple(Source, Ws);
         {error, Es, Ws} ->
-            rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Opts)
+            rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Config, Opts)
     end.
 
 clean(XrlFiles, _AppInfo) ->
diff --git a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_yrl.erl b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_yrl.erl
index c6392ae23..4692d480f 100644
--- a/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_yrl.erl
+++ b/apps/rebar/src/rebar_compiler_yrl.erl
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ needed_files(_, FoundFiles, Mappings, AppInfo) ->
 dependencies(_, _, _) ->
     [].
 
-compile(Source, [{_, OutDir}], _, Opts0) ->
+compile(Source, [{_, OutDir}], Config, Opts0) ->
     Opts = case proplists:get_value(parserfile, Opts0) of
         undefined ->
             BaseName = filename:basename(Source, ".yrl"),
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ compile(Source, [{_, OutDir}], _, Opts0) ->
         {ok, _Mod, Ws} ->
             rebar_compiler:ok_tuple(Source, Ws);
         {error, Es, Ws} ->
-            rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, AllOpts)
+            rebar_compiler:error_tuple(Source, Es, Ws, Config, AllOpts)
     end.
 
 clean(YrlFiles, _AppInfo) ->
diff --git a/apps/rebar/test/rebar_compiler_format_SUITE.erl b/apps/rebar/test/rebar_compiler_format_SUITE.erl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e35f5b888
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/rebar/test/rebar_compiler_format_SUITE.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+-module(rebar_compiler_format_SUITE).
+-compile([export_all, nowarn_export_all]).
+
+-include_lib("common_test/include/ct.hrl").
+-include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
+
+-define(EOL, lists:flatten(io_lib:format("~n",[]))).
+
+all() ->
+    [minimal, nocolor].
+
+init_per_testcase(minimal, Config) ->
+    Conf = dict:from_list([{compiler_error_format, minimal}]),
+    [{conf, Conf} | init_per_testcase(regular, Config)];
+init_per_testcase(_, Config) ->
+    OriginalTerm = os:getenv("TERM"),
+    os:putenv("TERM", "dumb"), % disable color
+    application:set_env(cf, colour_term, cf_term:has_color("dumb")),
+    FileName = filename:join(?config(priv_dir, Config), "oracle.erl"),
+    ok = file:write_file(FileName, oracle()),
+    Conf = dict:from_list([{compiler_error_format, rich}]),
+    [{conf, Conf}, {file, FileName}, {term, OriginalTerm} | Config].
+
+end_per_testcase(_, Config) ->
+    case ?config(term, Config) of
+        false ->
+            os:unsetenv("TERM"),
+            application:unset_env(cf, colour_term);
+        Original ->
+            os:putenv("TERM", Original),
+            application:set_env(cf, colour_term, cf_term:has_color("Original"))
+    end,
+    Config.
+
+oracle() ->
+    "-module(noline_end);\n"
+    ++ lists:duplicate(9, $\n) ++
+    "first character on line 11.\n"
+    ++ lists:duplicate(99, $\n) ++
+    "case X of ^whatever % on line 111\n".
+
+minimal() ->
+    [{doc, "showing minimal (default) output"}].
+minimal(Config) ->
+    Path = ?config(file, Config),
+    Conf = ?config(conf, Config),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":1:20: => unexpected token: ;"++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {1,20}, "=> ", "unexpected token: ;", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":11:1: some message"++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {11,1}, "", "some message", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":111:11: the character '^' is not expected here."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {111,11}, "", "the character '^' is not expected here.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":-23:-42: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {-23,-42}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":-23:-42: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {-23,-42}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":855:1: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {855,1}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual("/very/fake/path.oof:1:1: unknown file."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format("/very/fake/path.oof", {1,1}, "", "unknown file.", Conf)),
+    ok.
+
+
+nocolor() ->
+    [{doc, "testing all sorts of planned output"}].
+nocolor(Config) ->
+    Path = ?config(file, Config),
+    Conf = ?config(conf, Config),
+    ?assertEqual("   ┌─ "++Path++":"++?EOL++
+                 "   │"++?EOL++
+                 " 1 │  -module(noline_end);"++?EOL++
+                 "   │                     ╰── => unexpected token: ;"++?EOL++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {1,20}, "=> ", "unexpected token: ;", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual("    ┌─ "++Path++":"++?EOL++
+                 "    │"++?EOL++
+                 " 11 │  first character on line 11."++?EOL++
+                 "    │  ╰── some message"++?EOL++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {11,1}, "", "some message", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual("     ┌─ "++Path++":"++?EOL++
+                 "     │"++?EOL++
+                 " 111 │  case X of ^whatever % on line 111"++?EOL++
+                 "     │            ╰── the character '^' is not expected here."++?EOL++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {111,11}, "", "the character '^' is not expected here.", Conf)),
+    %% invalid cases fall back to minimal mode
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":-23:-42: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {-23,-42}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":-23:-42: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {-23,-42}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual(Path++":855:1: invalid ranges."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format(Path, {855,1}, "", "invalid ranges.", Conf)),
+    ?assertEqual("/very/fake/path.oof:1:1: unknown file."++?EOL,
+                 rebar_compiler_format:format("/very/fake/path.oof", {1,1}, "", "unknown file.", Conf)),
+    ok.
+
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index 72235d6a6..96a48b2ce 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -67,4 +67,5 @@
     ]}
 ]}.
 
+{compiler_error_format, rich}.
 %% The rest of the config is in apps/rebar/
diff --git a/rebar.config.sample b/rebar.config.sample
index 77fef3804..c3646de26 100644
--- a/rebar.config.sample
+++ b/rebar.config.sample
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 
 {minimum_otp_vsn, "21.0"}.
 
+%% Should errors be in a rich format, or a minimal one (tool-friendly)
+{compiler_error_format, rich}.
+
 %% MIB Options?
 {mib_opts, []}.
 %% SNMP mibs to compile first?