diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
index 5ac2ffa0a145..eb12bcd12642 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ perf_pmu__parse_check(const char *name);
 void parse_events__set_leader(char *name, struct list_head *list);
 void parse_events_update_lists(struct list_head *list_event,
 			       struct list_head *list_all);
-void parse_events_error(void *data, void *scanner, char const *msg);
 void parse_events_evlist_error(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
 			       int idx, const char *str);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.l b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.l
index 8895cf3132ab..330dd2d35f5a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.l
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.l
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 %option bison-bridge
 %option prefix="parse_events_"
 %option stack
+%option bison-locations
+%option yylineno
 
 %{
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -51,6 +53,18 @@ static int str(yyscan_t scanner, int token)
 	return token;
 }
 
+#define REWIND(__alloc)				\
+do {								\
+	YYSTYPE *__yylval = parse_events_get_lval(yyscanner);	\
+	char *text = parse_events_get_text(yyscanner);		\
+								\
+	if (__alloc)						\
+		__yylval->str = strdup(text);			\
+								\
+	yycolumn -= strlen(text);				\
+	yyless(0);						\
+} while (0)
+
 static int pmu_str_check(yyscan_t scanner)
 {
 	YYSTYPE *yylval = parse_events_get_lval(scanner);
@@ -85,6 +99,13 @@ static int term(yyscan_t scanner, int type)
 	return PE_TERM;
 }
 
+#define YY_USER_ACTION					\
+do {							\
+	yylloc->last_column  = yylloc->first_column;	\
+	yylloc->first_column = yycolumn;		\
+	yycolumn += yyleng;				\
+} while (0);
+
 %}
 
 %x mem
@@ -119,6 +140,12 @@ modifier_bp	[rwx]{1,3}
 
 		if (start_token) {
 			parse_events_set_extra(NULL, yyscanner);
+			/*
+			 * The flex parser does not init locations variable
+			 * via the scan_string interface, so we need do the
+			 * init in here.
+			 */
+			yycolumn = 0;
 			return start_token;
 		}
          }
@@ -127,19 +154,21 @@ modifier_bp	[rwx]{1,3}
 <event>{
 
 {group}		{
-			BEGIN(INITIAL); yyless(0);
+			BEGIN(INITIAL);
+			REWIND(0);
 		}
 
 {event_pmu}	|
 {event}		{
-			str(yyscanner, PE_EVENT_NAME);
-			BEGIN(INITIAL); yyless(0);
+			BEGIN(INITIAL);
+			REWIND(1);
 			return PE_EVENT_NAME;
 		}
 
 .		|
 <<EOF>>		{
-			BEGIN(INITIAL); yyless(0);
+			BEGIN(INITIAL);
+			REWIND(0);
 		}
 
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
index 72def077dbbf..14521ce534d9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 %parse-param {void *_data}
 %parse-param {void *scanner}
 %lex-param {void* scanner}
+%locations
 
 %{
 
@@ -14,8 +15,6 @@
 #include "parse-events.h"
 #include "parse-events-bison.h"
 
-extern int parse_events_lex (YYSTYPE* lvalp, void* scanner);
-
 #define ABORT_ON(val) \
 do { \
 	if (val) \
@@ -520,7 +519,9 @@ sep_slash_dc: '/' | ':' |
 
 %%
 
-void parse_events_error(void *data __maybe_unused, void *scanner __maybe_unused,
+void parse_events_error(YYLTYPE *loc, void *data,
+			void *scanner __maybe_unused,
 			char const *msg __maybe_unused)
 {
+	parse_events_evlist_error(data, loc->last_column, "parser error");
 }