diff --git a/argh.go b/argh.go
index f1cc2f9..47f3ca1 100644
--- a/argh.go
+++ b/argh.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func tracef(format string, v ...any) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if _, file, line, ok := runtime.Caller(2); ok {
+	if _, file, line, ok := runtime.Caller(1); ok {
 		format = fmt.Sprintf("%v:%v ", filepath.Base(file), line) + format
 	}
 
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index a18e7b0..b4ce2e9 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -42,3 +42,5 @@ type StdinFlag struct{}
 type StopFlag struct{}
 
 type ArgDelimiter struct{}
+
+type Assign struct{}
diff --git a/parser2.go b/parser2.go
index c57c51c..66a0142 100644
--- a/parser2.go
+++ b/parser2.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (p *parser2) parseArgs() (*ParseTree, error) {
 
 	tracef("parseArgs() returning ParseTree")
 
-	return &ParseTree{Nodes: nodes}, nil
+	return &ParseTree{Nodes: nodes}, p.errors.Err()
 }
 
 func (p *parser2) next() {
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ func (p *parser2) parseCommand(cCfg *CommandConfig) Node {
 			tracef("parseCommand(...) appending %s node=%+#v", tok, flagNode)
 
 			nodes = append(nodes, flagNode)
+		case ASSIGN:
+			tracef("parseCommand(...) error on bare %s", p.tok)
+
+			p.errors.Add(Position{Column: int(p.pos)}, "invalid bare assignment")
+
+			break
 		default:
 			tracef("parseCommand(...) breaking on %s", p.tok)
 			break
@@ -175,10 +181,13 @@ func (p *parser2) parseIdent() Node {
 func (p *parser2) parseFlag(flCfgMap map[string]FlagConfig) Node {
 	switch p.tok {
 	case SHORT_FLAG:
+		tracef("parseFlag(...) parsing short flag with config=%+#v", flCfgMap)
 		return p.parseShortFlag(flCfgMap)
 	case LONG_FLAG:
+		tracef("parseFlag(...) parsing long flag with config=%+#v", flCfgMap)
 		return p.parseLongFlag(flCfgMap)
 	case COMPOUND_SHORT_FLAG:
+		tracef("parseFlag(...) parsing compound short flag with config=%+#v", flCfgMap)
 		return p.parseCompoundShortFlag(flCfgMap)
 	}
 
@@ -238,7 +247,7 @@ func (p *parser2) parseConfiguredFlag(node *Flag, flCfg FlagConfig) Node {
 
 	for i := 0; p.tok != EOL; i++ {
 		if !flCfg.NValue.Contains(identIndex) {
-			tracef("parseLongFlag(...) identIndex=%d exceeds expected=%s; breaking")
+			tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) identIndex=%d exceeds expected=%v; breaking", identIndex, flCfg.NValue)
 			break
 		}
 
@@ -248,18 +257,24 @@ func (p *parser2) parseConfiguredFlag(node *Flag, flCfg FlagConfig) Node {
 		case ARG_DELIMITER:
 			nodes = append(nodes, &ArgDelimiter{})
 
+			continue
+		case ASSIGN:
+			nodes = append(nodes, &Assign{})
+
 			continue
 		case IDENT, STDIN_FLAG:
 			name := fmt.Sprintf("%d", identIndex)
 
-			tracef("parseLongFlag(...) checking for name of identIndex=%d", identIndex)
+			tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) checking for name of identIndex=%d", identIndex)
 
 			if len(flCfg.ValueNames) > identIndex {
 				name = flCfg.ValueNames[identIndex]
-				tracef("parseLongFlag(...) setting name=%s from config value names", name)
+				tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) setting name=%s from config value names", name)
 			} else if len(flCfg.ValueNames) == 1 && (flCfg.NValue == OneOrMoreValue || flCfg.NValue == ZeroOrMoreValue) {
 				name = fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d", flCfg.ValueNames[0], identIndex)
-				tracef("parseLongFlag(...) setting name=%s from repeating value name", name)
+				tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) setting name=%s from repeating value name", name)
+			} else {
+				tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) setting name=%s", name)
 			}
 
 			values[name] = p.lit
@@ -272,7 +287,7 @@ func (p *parser2) parseConfiguredFlag(node *Flag, flCfg FlagConfig) Node {
 
 			identIndex++
 		default:
-			tracef("parseLongFlag(...) breaking on %s %q %v; setting buffered=true", p.tok, p.lit, p.pos)
+			tracef("parseConfiguredFlag(...) breaking on %s %q %v; setting buffered=true", p.tok, p.lit, p.pos)
 			p.buffered = true
 
 			if len(nodes) > 0 {
diff --git a/parser2_test.go b/parser2_test.go
index a355e2d..5265e09 100644
--- a/parser2_test.go
+++ b/parser2_test.go
@@ -673,21 +673,23 @@ func TestParser2(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			skip: true,
-
 			name: "total weirdo",
 			args: []string{"PIZZAs", "^wAT@golf", "^^hecKing", "goose", "bonk", "^^FIERCENESS@-2"},
 			cfg: &argh.ParserConfig{
 				Prog: argh.CommandConfig{
 					Commands: map[string]argh.CommandConfig{
-						"goose": argh.CommandConfig{NValue: 1},
+						"goose": argh.CommandConfig{
+							NValue: 1,
+							Flags: map[string]argh.FlagConfig{
+								"FIERCENESS": argh.FlagConfig{NValue: 1},
+							},
+						},
 					},
 					Flags: map[string]argh.FlagConfig{
-						"w":          argh.FlagConfig{},
-						"A":          argh.FlagConfig{},
-						"T":          argh.FlagConfig{NValue: 1},
-						"hecking":    argh.FlagConfig{},
-						"FIERCENESS": argh.FlagConfig{NValue: 1},
+						"w":       argh.FlagConfig{},
+						"A":       argh.FlagConfig{},
+						"T":       argh.FlagConfig{NValue: 1},
+						"hecking": argh.FlagConfig{},
 					},
 				},
 				ScannerConfig: &argh.ScannerConfig{
@@ -705,25 +707,46 @@ func TestParser2(t *testing.T) {
 							Nodes: []argh.Node{
 								&argh.Flag{Name: "w"},
 								&argh.Flag{Name: "A"},
-								&argh.Flag{Name: "T", Values: map[string]string{"0": "golf"}},
+								&argh.Flag{
+									Name:   "T",
+									Values: map[string]string{"0": "golf"},
+									Nodes: []argh.Node{
+										&argh.Assign{},
+										&argh.Ident{Literal: "golf"},
+									},
+								},
 							},
 						},
 						&argh.ArgDelimiter{},
 						&argh.Flag{Name: "hecKing"},
 						&argh.ArgDelimiter{},
-						&argh.Command{Name: "goose", Values: map[string]string{"0": "bonk"}},
-						&argh.ArgDelimiter{},
-						&argh.Flag{Name: "FIERCENESS", Values: map[string]string{"0": "-2"}},
+						&argh.Command{
+							Name:   "goose",
+							Values: map[string]string{"0": "bonk"},
+							Nodes: []argh.Node{
+								&argh.ArgDelimiter{},
+								&argh.Ident{Literal: "bonk"},
+								&argh.ArgDelimiter{},
+								&argh.Flag{
+									Name:   "FIERCENESS",
+									Values: map[string]string{"0": "-2"},
+									Nodes: []argh.Node{
+										&argh.Assign{},
+										&argh.Ident{Literal: "-2"},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			skip: true,
-
-			name:   "invalid bare assignment",
-			args:   []string{"pizzas", "=", "--wat"},
-			expErr: argh.ErrSyntax,
+			name: "invalid bare assignment",
+			args: []string{"pizzas", "=", "--wat"},
+			expErr: argh.ScannerErrorList{
+				&argh.ScannerError{Pos: argh.Position{Column: 8}, Msg: "invalid bare assignment"},
+			},
 			expPT: []argh.Node{
 				&argh.Command{
 					Name: "pizzas",
@@ -745,7 +768,10 @@ func TestParser2(t *testing.T) {
 
 				pt, err := argh.ParseArgs2(tc.args, tc.cfg)
 				if err != nil || tc.expErr != nil {
-					assert.ErrorIs(ct, err, tc.expErr)
+					if !assert.ErrorIs(ct, err, tc.expErr) {
+						spew.Dump(err, tc.expErr)
+						spew.Dump(pt)
+					}
 					return
 				}
 
@@ -764,7 +790,9 @@ func TestParser2(t *testing.T) {
 
 				pt, err := argh.ParseArgs2(tc.args, tc.cfg)
 				if err != nil || tc.expErr != nil {
-					assert.ErrorIs(ct, err, tc.expErr)
+					if !assert.ErrorIs(ct, err, tc.expErr) {
+						spew.Dump(pt)
+					}
 					return
 				}
 
diff --git a/scanner_error.go b/scanner_error.go
index c9b7441..e5b634b 100644
--- a/scanner_error.go
+++ b/scanner_error.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ func (e ScannerError) Error() string {
 	if e.Pos.IsValid() {
 		return e.Pos.String() + ":" + e.Msg
 	}
+
 	return e.Msg
 }
 
@@ -64,6 +65,18 @@ func (el ScannerErrorList) Err() error {
 	return el
 }
 
+func (el ScannerErrorList) Is(other error) bool {
+	if _, ok := other.(ScannerErrorList); ok {
+		return el.Error() == other.Error()
+	}
+
+	if v, ok := other.(*ScannerErrorList); ok {
+		return el.Error() == (*v).Error()
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 func PrintScannerError(w io.Writer, err error) {
 	if list, ok := err.(ScannerErrorList); ok {
 		for _, e := range list {