diff --git a/expr.c b/expr.c
index bd2463c..f43f72b 100644
--- a/expr.c
+++ b/expr.c
@@ -380,8 +380,14 @@ char *expand(const char *name, const struct frame *frame)
 		if (*s != '{') {
 			while (is_id_char(*s, s == s0))
 				s++;
-			if (s == s0)
-				goto invalid;
+			if (s == s0) {
+				if (*s)
+					goto invalid;
+				else {
+					fail("incomplete variable name");
+					goto fail;
+				}
+			}
 			var = strnalloc(s0, s-s0);
 			len -= s-s0+1;
 			s--;
diff --git a/inst.c b/inst.c
index 84c7b30..c4c9ffc 100644
--- a/inst.c
+++ b/inst.c
@@ -792,6 +792,7 @@ static int validate_pad_name(const char *s, void *ctx)
 {
 	char *tmp;
 
+	status_begin_reporting();
 	tmp = expand(s, NULL);
 	if (!tmp)
 		return 0;