diff --git a/src/parse_tree.cpp b/src/parse_tree.cpp
index 323acbae9..5e387366b 100644
--- a/src/parse_tree.cpp
+++ b/src/parse_tree.cpp
@@ -126,6 +126,19 @@ wcstring parse_error_t::describe_with_prefix(const wcstring &src, const wcstring
     result.push_back(L'\n');
     result.append(caret_space_line);
     result.push_back(L'^');
+    if (source_length > 1) {
+        // Add a squiggle under the error location.
+        // We do it like this
+        //               ^~~^
+        // With a "^" under the start and end, and squiggles in-between.
+        auto width = fish_wcswidth(src.c_str() + source_start, source_length);
+        if (width > 2) {
+            // Subtract one for each of the carets - this is important in case
+            // the starting char has a width of > 1.
+            result.append(width - 2, L'~');
+            result.push_back(L'^');
+        }
+    }
     return result;
 }