diff --git a/common/dsnlexer.cpp b/common/dsnlexer.cpp
index 8939ba130d..d14d7316ec 100644
--- a/common/dsnlexer.cpp
+++ b/common/dsnlexer.cpp
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ int DSNLEXER::NeedSYMBOLorNUMBER()
 {
     int  tok = NextTok();
     if( !IsSymbol( tok ) && tok!=DSN_NUMBER )
-        Expecting( "symbol|number" );
+        Expecting( "a symbol or number" );
     return tok;
 }
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ int DSNLEXER::NeedNUMBER( const char* aExpectation )
     if( tok != DSN_NUMBER )
     {
         wxString errText = wxString::Format(
-            _( "need a NUMBER for \"%s\"" ), wxString::FromUTF8( aExpectation ).GetData() );
+            _( "need a number for '%s'" ), wxString::FromUTF8( aExpectation ).GetData() );
         THROW_PARSE_ERROR( errText, CurSource(), CurLine(), CurLineNumber(), CurOffset() );
     }
     return tok;
diff --git a/pcbnew/drc/drc_rule_parser.cpp b/pcbnew/drc/drc_rule_parser.cpp
index 9921ae3db6..ef95453b79 100644
--- a/pcbnew/drc/drc_rule_parser.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/drc/drc_rule_parser.cpp
@@ -195,9 +195,11 @@ DRC_SELECTOR* DRC_RULES_PARSER::parseDRC_SELECTOR( wxString* aRuleName )
 DRC_RULE* DRC_RULES_PARSER::parseDRC_RULE()
 {
     DRC_RULE* rule = new DRC_RULE();
-    T         token;
+    T         token = NextTok();
+
+    if( !IsSymbol( token ) )
+        Expecting( "rule name" );
 
-    NeedSYMBOL();
     rule->m_Name = FromUTF8();
 
     for( token = NextTok();  token != T_RIGHT;  token = NextTok() )