diff --git a/lib/codegen/src/print_errors.rs b/lib/codegen/src/print_errors.rs
index 777fde05b8..61e10d7ed1 100644
--- a/lib/codegen/src/print_errors.rs
+++ b/lib/codegen/src/print_errors.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 //! Utility routines for pretty-printing error messages.
 
 use ir;
+use ir::entities::Inst;
+use ir::function::Function;
 use isa::TargetIsa;
 use result::CodegenError;
+use std::fmt;
 use std::fmt::Write;
 use std::string::{String, ToString};
 use verifier::VerifierError;
+use write::decorate_function;
 
 /// Pretty-print a verifier error.
 pub fn pretty_verifier_error(
@@ -13,15 +17,52 @@ pub fn pretty_verifier_error(
     isa: Option<&TargetIsa>,
     err: &VerifierError,
 ) -> String {
-    let mut msg = err.to_string();
+    let mut w = String::new();
+    decorate_function(
+        &mut |w, func, isa, inst, indent| pretty_function_error(w, func, isa, inst, indent, err),
+        &mut w,
+        func,
+        isa,
+    ).unwrap();
+    w
+}
+
+/// Pretty-print a function verifier error.
+fn pretty_function_error(
+    w: &mut Write,
+    func: &Function,
+    isa: Option<&TargetIsa>,
+    cur_inst: Inst,
+    indent: usize,
+    err: &VerifierError,
+) -> fmt::Result {
     match err.location {
         ir::entities::AnyEntity::Inst(inst) => {
-            write!(msg, "\n{}: {}\n\n", inst, func.dfg.display_inst(inst, isa)).unwrap()
+            if inst == cur_inst {
+                write!(
+                    w,
+                    "{1:0$}{2}\n",
+                    indent,
+                    "",
+                    func.dfg.display_inst(cur_inst, isa)
+                )?;
+                write!(w, "{1:0$}{2}", indent, "", "^")?;
+                for _c in cur_inst.to_string().chars() {
+                    write!(w, "~")?;
+                }
+                write!(w, "\n\nverifier {}\n\n", err.to_string())
+            } else {
+                write!(
+                    w,
+                    "{1:0$}{2}\n",
+                    indent,
+                    "",
+                    func.dfg.display_inst(cur_inst, isa)
+                )
+            }
         }
-        _ => msg.push('\n'),
+        _ => write!(w, "{}", "\n"),
     }
-    write!(msg, "{}", func.display(isa)).unwrap();
-    msg
 }
 
 /// Pretty-print a Cretonne error.
diff --git a/lib/codegen/src/write.rs b/lib/codegen/src/write.rs
index 124034b39a..9914c45517 100644
--- a/lib/codegen/src/write.rs
+++ b/lib/codegen/src/write.rs
@@ -9,9 +9,39 @@ use packed_option::ReservedValue;
 use std::fmt::{self, Write};
 use std::string::String;
 
+fn write_function_plain(
+    w: &mut Write,
+    func: &Function,
+    isa: Option<&TargetIsa>,
+    inst: Inst,
+    indent: usize,
+) -> fmt::Result {
+    write_instruction(w, func, isa, inst, indent)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Write `func` to `w` as equivalent text.
 /// Use `isa` to emit ISA-dependent annotations.
 pub fn write_function(w: &mut Write, func: &Function, isa: Option<&TargetIsa>) -> fmt::Result {
+    decorate_function(
+        &mut |w, func, isa, inst, indent| write_function_plain(w, func, isa, inst, indent),
+        w,
+        func,
+        isa,
+    )
+}
+
+/// Writes 'func' to 'w' as text.
+/// write_function_plain is passed as 'closure' to print instructions as text.
+/// pretty_function_error is passed as 'closure' to add error decoration.
+pub fn decorate_function<
+    WL: FnMut(&mut Write, &Function, Option<&TargetIsa>, Inst, usize) -> fmt::Result,
+>(
+    closure: &mut WL,
+    w: &mut Write,
+    func: &Function,
+    isa: Option<&TargetIsa>,
+) -> fmt::Result {
     let regs = isa.map(TargetIsa::register_info);
     let regs = regs.as_ref();
 
@@ -23,7 +53,7 @@ pub fn write_function(w: &mut Write, func: &Function, isa: Option<&TargetIsa>) -
         if any {
             writeln!(w)?;
         }
-        write_ebb(w, func, isa, ebb)?;
+        decorate_ebb(closure, w, func, isa, ebb)?;
         any = true;
     }
     writeln!(w, "}}")
@@ -141,7 +171,15 @@ pub fn write_ebb_header(
     writeln!(w, "):")
 }
 
-pub fn write_ebb(w: &mut Write, func: &Function, isa: Option<&TargetIsa>, ebb: Ebb) -> fmt::Result {
+pub fn decorate_ebb<
+    WL: FnMut(&mut Write, &Function, Option<&TargetIsa>, Inst, usize) -> fmt::Result,
+>(
+    closure: &mut WL,
+    w: &mut Write,
+    func: &Function,
+    isa: Option<&TargetIsa>,
+    ebb: Ebb,
+) -> fmt::Result {
     // Indent all instructions if any encodings are present.
     let indent = if func.encodings.is_empty() && func.srclocs.is_empty() {
         4
@@ -151,8 +189,9 @@ pub fn write_ebb(w: &mut Write, func: &Function, isa: Option<&TargetIsa>, ebb: E
 
     write_ebb_header(w, func, isa, ebb, indent)?;
     for inst in func.layout.ebb_insts(ebb) {
-        write_instruction(w, func, isa, inst, indent)?;
+        closure(w, func, isa, inst, indent)?;
     }
+
     Ok(())
 }