diff --git a/Source/CParse/templ.c b/Source/CParse/templ.c
index c978a2044..c38f9a9bf 100644
--- a/Source/CParse/templ.c
+++ b/Source/CParse/templ.c
@@ -517,8 +517,12 @@ Swig_cparse_template_locate(String *name, Parm *tparms) {
     n = Swig_symbol_clookup_local(s,0);
     if (Len(mpartials) > 1) {
       if (n) {
-	Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_TEMPLATE_AMBIG,cparse_file,cparse_line,"Instantiation of template %s is ambiguous. Using %s at %s:%d\n",
-		     SwigType_namestr(tname), SwigType_namestr(Getattr(n,"name")), Getfile(n),Getline(n));
+	Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_TEMPLATE_AMBIG,cparse_file,cparse_line,
+		     "Instantiation of template '%s' is ambiguous,\n",
+		     SwigType_namestr(tname));
+	Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_TEMPLATE_AMBIG,Getfile(n),Getline(n),
+		     "  instantiation '%s' is used.\n",
+		     SwigType_namestr(Getattr(n,"name")));
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx b/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
index e913003be..2f9e7a5dc 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class Allocate : public Dispatcher {
 	    if (e && is_public(e) && !Getattr(e,"feature:ignore") && (Cmp(symname, Getattr(e,"sym:name")) == 0)) {
 	      Swig_warning(WARN_LANG_DEREF_SHADOW,Getfile(e),Getline(e),"Declaration of '%s' shadows declaration accessible via operator->(),\n",
 			   name);
-	      Swig_warning(WARN_LANG_DEREF_SHADOW,Getfile(c),Getline(c)," '%s' first declared here.\n", name);
+	      Swig_warning(WARN_LANG_DEREF_SHADOW,Getfile(c),Getline(c),"previous declaration of '%s'.\n", name);
 	    } else {
 	      /* Make sure node with same name doesn't already exist */
 	      int k;
diff --git a/Source/Modules/emit.cxx b/Source/Modules/emit.cxx
index e8e3abdc8..2cebe8c27 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/emit.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/emit.cxx
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ int emit_num_required(ParmList *parms) {
       p = Getattr(p,"tmap:in:next");
     } else {
       if (!Getattr(p,"value") && (!Getattr(p,"tmap:default"))) {
-	Swig_error(Getfile(p),Getline(p),"Error. Non-optional argument '%s' follows an optional argument.\n",Getattr(p,"name"));
+	Swig_error(Getfile(p),Getline(p),"Non-optional argument '%s' follows an optional argument.\n",Getattr(p,"name"));
       }
       if (Getattr(p,"tmap:in")) {
 	p = Getattr(p,"tmap:in:next");
diff --git a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
index afc19143a..31afb1bd8 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
@@ -2097,7 +2097,7 @@ int
 Language::addSymbol(String *s, Node *n) {
   Node *c = Getattr(symbols,s);
   if (c && (c != n)) {
-    Swig_error(input_file, line_number, "Error. '%s' is multiply defined in the generated module.\n", s);
+    Swig_error(input_file, line_number, "'%s' is multiply defined in the generated module.\n", s);
     Swig_error(Getfile(c),Getline(c), "Previous declaration of '%s'\n", s);
     return 0;
   }
diff --git a/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx b/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
index 12e09c4ea..ff864e273 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
@@ -405,8 +405,12 @@ public:
 	    SwigType_typedef_class(fname);
 	    scopename = Copy(fname);
 	  } else {
-	    Swig_warning(WARN_TYPE_REDEFINED,Getfile(n),Getline(n),"Template '%s' was already wrapped as '%s' at %s:%d.\n",
-			 SwigType_namestr(name), SwigType_namestr(Getattr(cn,"name")), Getfile(cn), Getline(cn));
+	    Swig_warning(WARN_TYPE_REDEFINED,Getfile(n),Getline(n),
+			 "Template '%s' was already wrapped,\n",
+			 SwigType_namestr(name));
+	    Swig_warning(WARN_TYPE_REDEFINED,Getfile(cn), Getline(cn),
+			 "previous wrap of '%s'.\n",
+			 SwigType_namestr(Getattr(cn,"name")));
 	    scopename = 0;
 	  }
 	} else {
diff --git a/Source/Preprocessor/cpp.c b/Source/Preprocessor/cpp.c
index 3890d039a..be35d5124 100644
--- a/Source/Preprocessor/cpp.c
+++ b/Source/Preprocessor/cpp.c
@@ -345,7 +345,6 @@ Hash *Preprocessor_define(const String_or_char *_str, int swigmacro)
   /* Go create the macro */
   macro = NewHash();
   Setattr(macro,"name", macroname);
-  Delete(macroname);
   if (arglist) {
     Setattr(macro,"args",arglist);
     Delete(arglist);
@@ -362,17 +361,23 @@ Hash *Preprocessor_define(const String_or_char *_str, int swigmacro)
   }
   symbols = Getattr(cpp,"symbols");
   if ((m1 = Getattr(symbols,macroname))) {
-    if (Cmp(Getattr(m1,"value"),macrovalue))
-      Swig_error(Getfile(str),Getline(str),"Macro '%s' redefined. Previous definition in \'%s\', Line %d\n", macroname, Getfile(m1), Getline(m1));
+    if (Cmp(Getattr(m1,"value"),macrovalue)) {
+      Swig_error(Getfile(str),Getline(str),"Macro '%s' redefined,\n",macroname);    
+      Swig_error(Getfile(m1),Getline(m1),"previous definition of '%s'.\n",macroname);
+      goto macro_error;
+    }
   }
   Setattr(symbols,macroname,macro);
+  
   Delete(str);
   Delete(argstr);
+  Delete(macroname);
   return macro;
 
  macro_error:
   Delete(str);
   Delete(argstr);
+  Delete(macroname);
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/Swig/error.c b/Source/Swig/error.c
index ebf42d9b2..eb5ca3e1a 100644
--- a/Source/Swig/error.c
+++ b/Source/Swig/error.c
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ static String *filter = 0;         /* Warning filter */
 static int warnall = 0;
 static int nwarning = 0;
 
+static int init_fmt = 0;
+static char wrn_wnum_fmt[64];
+static char wrn_nnum_fmt[64];
+static char err_line_fmt[64];
+static char err_eof_fmt[64];
+
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Swig_warning()
  *
@@ -58,6 +64,7 @@ Swig_warning(int wnum, const String_or_char *filename, int line, const char *fmt
   int     wrn = 1;
   va_list ap;
   if (silence) return;
+  if (!init_fmt) Swig_error_msg_format(DEFAULT_ERROR_MSG_FORMAT);
   
   va_start(ap,fmt);
 
@@ -90,25 +97,9 @@ Swig_warning(int wnum, const String_or_char *filename, int line, const char *fmt
   }
   if (warnall || wrn) {
     if (wnum) {
-      switch (msg_format) {
-        case EMF_MICROSOFT:
-          Printf(stderr,"%s(%d): Warning(%d): ", filename, line, wnum);
-          break;
-        case EMF_STANDARD:
-        default:
-          Printf(stderr,"%s:%d: Warning(%d): ", filename, line, wnum);
-          break;
-      }
+      Printf(stderr, wrn_wnum_fmt, filename, line, wnum);
     } else {
-      switch (msg_format) {
-        case EMF_MICROSOFT:
-          Printf(stderr,"%s(%d): Warning: ", filename, line);
-          break;
-        case EMF_STANDARD:
-        default:
-          Printf(stderr,"%s:%d: Warning: ", filename, line);
-          break;
-      }
+      Printf(stderr, wrn_nnum_fmt, filename, line);
     }
     Printf(stderr,"%s",msg);
     nwarning++;
@@ -130,20 +121,13 @@ Swig_error(const String_or_char *filename, int line, const char *fmt, ...) {
   va_list ap;
 
   if (silence) return;
-
+  if (!init_fmt) Swig_error_msg_format(DEFAULT_ERROR_MSG_FORMAT);
+  
   va_start(ap,fmt);
   if (line > 0) {
-    switch (msg_format) {
-      case EMF_MICROSOFT:
-        Printf(stderr,"%s(%d): ", filename, line);
-        break;
-      case EMF_STANDARD:
-      default:
-        Printf(stderr,"%s:%d: ", filename, line);
-        break;
-    }
+    Printf(stderr, err_line_fmt, filename, line);
   } else {
-    Printf(stderr,"%s:EOF: ", filename);
+    Printf(stderr, err_eof_fmt, filename);
   }
   vPrintf(stderr,fmt,ap);
   va_end(ap);
@@ -235,5 +219,28 @@ Swig_warn_count(void) {
 
 void
 Swig_error_msg_format(ErrorMessageFormat format) {
+  const char* error    = "Error";
+  const char* warning  = "Warning";
+
+  const char* fmt_eof  = "%s:EOF";
+
+  /* here 'format' could be directly a string instead of an enum, but
+     by now a switch is used to translated into one. */
+  const char* fmt_line = 0;
+  switch (format) {
+  case EMF_MICROSOFT:
+    fmt_line = "%s(%d)";
+    break;
+  case EMF_STANDARD:
+  default:
+    fmt_line = "%s:%d";
+  }
+
+  sprintf(wrn_wnum_fmt, "%s: %s(%%d): ", fmt_line, warning);
+  sprintf(wrn_nnum_fmt, "%s: %s: ",      fmt_line, warning);
+  sprintf(err_line_fmt, "%s: %s: ",      fmt_line, error);
+  sprintf(err_eof_fmt,  "%s: %s: ",      fmt_eof,  error);
+
   msg_format = format;
+  init_fmt = 1;
 }
diff --git a/Source/Swig/symbol.c b/Source/Swig/symbol.c
index ddf2d72e7..beecbc00c 100644
--- a/Source/Swig/symbol.c
+++ b/Source/Swig/symbol.c
@@ -383,8 +383,12 @@ Swig_symbol_cadd(String_or_char *name, Node *n) {
     Setattr(ccurrent,name,n);
     append = cn;
   } else if (cn && (Strcmp(nodeType(cn),"templateparm") == 0)) {
-    Swig_error(Getfile(n),Getline(n),"Error. Declaration of '%s' shadows template parameter at %s:%d\n",
-	       name,Getfile(cn),Getline(cn));
+    Swig_error(Getfile(n),Getline(n),
+	       "Declaration of '%s' shadows template parameter,\n",
+	       name);
+    Swig_error(Getfile(cn),Getline(cn),
+	       "previous template parameter declaration '%s'.\n",
+	       name);
     return;
   } else if (cn) {
     append = n;