diff --git a/compiler/guards.nim b/compiler/guards.nim
index bfa295fd21..0a1c5640dd 100644
--- a/compiler/guards.nim
+++ b/compiler/guards.nim
@@ -981,9 +981,10 @@ proc buildElse(n: PNode; o: Operators): PNode =
   var s = newNodeIT(nkCurly, n.info, settype(n.sons[0]))
   for i in 1..n.len-2:
     let branch = n.sons[i]
-    assert branch.kind == nkOfBranch
-    for j in 0..branch.len-2:
-      s.add(branch.sons[j])
+    assert branch.kind != nkElse
+    if branch.kind == nkOfBranch:
+      for j in 0..branch.len-2:
+        s.add(branch.sons[j])
   result = newNodeI(nkCall, n.info, 3)
   result.sons[0] = newSymNode(o.opContains)
   result.sons[1] = s
diff --git a/compiler/msgs.nim b/compiler/msgs.nim
index bbee27e67d..2162ee559c 100644
--- a/compiler/msgs.nim
+++ b/compiler/msgs.nim
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ proc sourceLine*(conf: ConfigRef; i: TLineInfo): string =
 proc writeSurroundingSrc(conf: ConfigRef; info: TLineInfo) =
   const indent = "  "
   msgWriteln(conf, indent & $sourceLine(conf, info))
-  msgWriteln(conf, indent & spaces(info.col) & '^')
+  if info.col >= 0:
+    msgWriteln(conf, indent & spaces(info.col) & '^')
 
 proc formatMsg*(conf: ConfigRef; info: TLineInfo, msg: TMsgKind, arg: string): string =
   let title = case msg