diff --git a/parser/parser_lex.l b/parser/parser_lex.l
index 4c3ef995e..9436f7ccc 100644
--- a/parser/parser_lex.l
+++ b/parser/parser_lex.l
@@ -390,6 +390,11 @@ LT_EQUAL	<=
 			current_lineno++;
 			BEGIN(INITIAL);
 			}
+	[^\n]		{
+			DUMP_PREPROCESS;
+			/* Something we didn't expect */
+			yyerror(_("Found unexpected character: '%s'"), yytext);
+			}
 }
 
 <NETWORK_MODE>{
diff --git a/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_1.sd b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_1.sd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..beb466f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_1.sd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#=DESCRIPTION trailing garbage should trigger an error
+#=EXRESULT FAIL
+
+@{LIBVIRT} = "libvirt
+
+/does/not/exist {
+
+  change_profile ->
+  	@{LIBVIRT}-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*,
+}
diff --git a/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_2.sd b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_2.sd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..17311623c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_2.sd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#=DESCRIPTION garbage should trigger an error
+#=EXRESULT FAIL
+
+@{LIBVIRT} = lib"virt
+
+/does/not/exist {
+
+  change_profile ->
+  	@{LIBVIRT}-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*,
+}
diff --git a/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_3.sd b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_3.sd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a286f304
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_3.sd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#=DESCRIPTION garbage should trigger an error
+#=EXRESULT FAIL
+
+@{LIBVIRT} = lib!virt libfail
+
+/does/not/exist {
+
+  change_profile ->
+  	@{LIBVIRT}-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*,
+}
diff --git a/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_trailing_garbage_1.sd b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_trailing_garbage_1.sd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5dfb84a43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parser/tst/simple_tests/vars/vars_bad_trailing_garbage_1.sd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#=DESCRIPTION trailing garbage should trigger an error
+#=EXRESULT FAIL
+
+@{LIBVIRT} = libvirt"
+
+/does/not/exist {
+
+  change_profile ->
+  	@{LIBVIRT}-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*,
+}