diff --git a/cue/build/instance.go b/cue/build/instance.go
index da3eb24..f0407c0 100644
--- a/cue/build/instance.go
+++ b/cue/build/instance.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 }
 
 func (inst *Instance) errorf(pos token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) error {
-	return inst.chkErr(errors.E(pos.Position(), fmt.Sprintf(format, args...)))
+	return inst.chkErr(errors.E(pos, fmt.Sprintf(format, args...)))
 }
 
 // Context defines the build context for this instance. All files defined
diff --git a/cue/errors.go b/cue/errors.go
index bc1e2ae..afd89ae 100644
--- a/cue/errors.go
+++ b/cue/errors.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 )
 
+var _ errors.Error = &nodeError{}
+
 // A nodeError is an error associated with processing an AST node.
 type nodeError struct {
 	path []string // optional
@@ -35,12 +37,12 @@
 func nodeErrorf(n ast.Node, format string, args ...interface{}) *nodeError {
 	return &nodeError{
 		n:       n,
-		Message: errors.Message{Format: format, Args: args},
+		Message: errors.NewMessage(format, args),
 	}
 }
 
-func (e *nodeError) Position() token.Position {
-	return e.n.Pos().Position()
+func (e *nodeError) Position() token.Pos {
+	return e.n.Pos()
 }
 
 func (e *nodeError) Path() []string {
@@ -49,15 +51,14 @@
 
 func (v Value) toErr(b *bottom) errors.Error {
 	return &valueError{
-		Message: errors.Message{
-			Format: b.msg,
-			Args:   nil,
-		},
-		v:   v,
-		err: b,
+		Message: errors.NewMessage(b.msg, nil),
+		v:       v,
+		err:     b,
 	}
 }
 
+var _ errors.Error = &valueError{}
+
 // A valueError is returned as a result of evaluating a value.
 type valueError struct {
 	errors.Message
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@
 	err *bottom
 }
 
-func (e *valueError) Position() token.Position {
-	return e.err.pos.Pos().Position()
+func (e *valueError) Position() token.Pos {
+	return e.err.pos.Pos()
 }
 
 func (e *valueError) Path() (a []string) {
diff --git a/cue/errors/errors.go b/cue/errors/errors.go
index 1531f51..019c71d 100644
--- a/cue/errors/errors.go
+++ b/cue/errors/errors.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 // A Handler is a generic error handler used throughout CUE packages.
 //
 // The position points to the beginning of the offending value.
-type Handler func(pos token.Position, msg string)
+type Handler func(pos token.Pos, msg string)
 
 // A Message implements the error interface as well as Message to allow
 // internationalized messages.
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
 // Error is the common error message.
 type Error interface {
-	Position() token.Position
+	Position() token.Pos
 
 	// Error reports the error message without position information.
 	Error() string
@@ -71,11 +71,7 @@
 // // TODO: make Error an interface that returns a list of positions.
 
 // Newf creates an Error with the associated position and message.
-func Newf(pos token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) Error {
-	var p token.Position
-	if pos.IsValid() {
-		p = pos.Position()
-	}
+func Newf(p token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) Error {
 	return &posError{
 		pos:     p,
 		Message: NewMessage(format, args),
@@ -84,11 +80,7 @@
 
 // Wrapf creates an Error with the associated position and message. The provided
 // error is added for inspection context.
-func Wrapf(err error, pos token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) Error {
-	var p token.Position
-	if pos.IsValid() {
-		p = pos.Position()
-	}
+func Wrapf(err error, p token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) Error {
 	return &posError{
 		pos:     p,
 		Message: NewMessage(format, args),
@@ -96,12 +88,14 @@
 	}
 }
 
+var _ Error = &posError{}
+
 // In an List, an error is represented by an *posError.
 // The position Pos, if valid, points to the beginning of
 // the offending token, and the error condition is described
 // by Msg.
 type posError struct {
-	pos token.Position
+	pos token.Pos
 	Message
 
 	// The underlying error that triggered this one, if any.
@@ -121,9 +115,9 @@
 		switch x := a.(type) {
 		case string:
 			e.Message = NewMessage("%s", []interface{}{x})
-		case token.Position:
+		case token.Pos:
 			e.pos = x
-		case []token.Position:
+		case []token.Pos:
 			// TODO: do something more clever
 			if len(x) > 0 {
 				e.pos = x[0]
@@ -157,7 +151,7 @@
 	return &posError{err: err}
 }
 
-func (e *posError) Position() token.Position {
+func (e *posError) Position() token.Pos {
 	return e.pos
 }
 
@@ -171,7 +165,7 @@
 	} else {
 		p.Printf(format, args...)
 	}
-	if p.Detail() && e.pos.Filename != "" || e.pos.IsValid() {
+	if p.Detail() && e.pos.Filename() != "" || e.pos.IsValid() {
 		p.Printf("%s", e.pos.String())
 	}
 	return next
@@ -204,7 +198,7 @@
 }
 
 // AddNew adds an Error with given position and error message to an List.
-func (p *List) AddNew(pos token.Position, msg string) {
+func (p *List) AddNew(pos token.Pos, msg string) {
 	p.add(&posError{pos: pos, Message: Message{format: msg}})
 }
 
@@ -226,14 +220,14 @@
 	// Note that it is not sufficient to simply compare file offsets because
 	// the offsets do not reflect modified line information (through //line
 	// comments).
-	if e.Filename != f.Filename {
-		return e.Filename < f.Filename
+	if e.Filename() != f.Filename() {
+		return e.Filename() < f.Filename()
 	}
-	if e.Line != f.Line {
-		return e.Line < f.Line
+	if e.Line() != f.Line() {
+		return e.Line() < f.Line()
 	}
-	if e.Column != f.Column {
-		return e.Column < f.Column
+	if e.Column() != f.Column() {
+		return e.Column() < f.Column()
 	}
 	return p[i].Error() < p[j].Error()
 }
@@ -249,11 +243,11 @@
 // RemoveMultiples sorts an List and removes all but the first error per line.
 func (p *List) RemoveMultiples() {
 	sort.Sort(p)
-	var last token.Position // initial last.Line is != any legal error line
+	var last token.Pos // initial last.Line is != any legal error line
 	i := 0
 	for _, e := range *p {
 		pos := e.Position()
-		if pos.Filename != last.Filename || pos.Line != last.Line {
+		if pos.Filename() != last.Filename() || pos.Line() != last.Line() {
 			last = pos
 			(*p)[i] = e
 			i++
@@ -305,7 +299,7 @@
 
 	for e := err; e != nil; e = xerrors.Unwrap(e) {
 		switch x := e.(type) {
-		case interface{ Position() token.Position }:
+		case interface{ Position() token.Pos }:
 			if pos := x.Position().String(); pos != "-" {
 				positions = append(positions, pos)
 			}
diff --git a/cue/errors/errors_test.go b/cue/errors/errors_test.go
index fb8e7ff..2f124a4 100644
--- a/cue/errors/errors_test.go
+++ b/cue/errors/errors_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 func TestErrorList_Add(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
-		pos token.Position
+		pos token.Pos
 		msg string
 	}
 	tests := []struct {
diff --git a/cue/load/errors.go b/cue/load/errors.go
index 6f77495..6196e2c 100644
--- a/cue/load/errors.go
+++ b/cue/load/errors.go
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@
 
 // A packageError describes an error loading information about a package.
 type packageError struct {
-	ImportStack   []string // shortest path from package named on command line to this one
-	Pos           string   // position of error
-	Err           string   // the error itself
-	IsImportCycle bool     `json:"-"` // the error is an import cycle
-	Hard          bool     `json:"-"` // whether the error is soft or hard; soft errors are ignored in some places
+	ImportStack   []string  // shortest path from package named on command line to this one
+	Pos           token.Pos // position of error
+	Err           string    // the error itself
+	IsImportCycle bool      `json:"-"` // the error is an import cycle
+	Hard          bool      `json:"-"` // whether the error is soft or hard; soft errors are ignored in some places
 }
 
-func (l *loader) errPkgf(importPos []token.Position, format string, args ...interface{}) *packageError {
+func (l *loader) errPkgf(importPos []token.Pos, format string, args ...interface{}) *packageError {
 	err := &packageError{
 		ImportStack: l.stk.Copy(),
 		Err:         fmt.Sprintf(format, args...),
@@ -69,11 +69,9 @@
 	return err
 }
 
-func (p *packageError) fillPos(cwd string, positions []token.Position) {
-	if len(positions) > 0 && p.Pos == "" {
-		pos := positions[0]
-		pos.Filename = shortPath(cwd, pos.Filename)
-		p.Pos = pos.String()
+func (p *packageError) fillPos(cwd string, positions []token.Pos) {
+	if len(positions) > 0 && !p.Pos.IsValid() {
+		p.Pos = positions[0]
 	}
 }
 
@@ -82,10 +80,10 @@
 	if p.IsImportCycle {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%s\npackage %s\n", p.Err, strings.Join(p.ImportStack, "\n\timports "))
 	}
-	if p.Pos != "" {
+	if p.Pos.IsValid() {
 		// Omit import stack. The full path to the file where the error
 		// is the most important thing.
-		return p.Pos + ": " + p.Err
+		return p.Pos.String() + ": " + p.Err
 	}
 	if len(p.ImportStack) == 0 {
 		return p.Err
diff --git a/cue/load/loader.go b/cue/load/loader.go
index eb4597d..c9a3c78 100644
--- a/cue/load/loader.go
+++ b/cue/load/loader.go
@@ -89,13 +89,6 @@
 	getTestDeps
 )
 
-func firstPos(p []token.Position) token.Position {
-	if len(p) == 0 {
-		return token.Position{}
-	}
-	return p[0]
-}
-
 type loader struct {
 	cfg *Config
 	stk importStack
diff --git a/cue/parser/error_test.go b/cue/parser/error_test.go
index eb0cb1f..628c9c6 100644
--- a/cue/parser/error_test.go
+++ b/cue/parser/error_test.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
 		// a Pos so we can do a map lookup
 		ePos := error.Position()
 		eMsg := error.Error()
-		pos := getPos(file, ePos.Offset).WithRel(0)
+		pos := getPos(file, ePos.Offset()).WithRel(0)
 		if msg, found := expected[pos]; found {
 			// we expect a message at pos; check if it matches
 			rx, err := regexp.Compile(msg)
diff --git a/cue/parser/parser.go b/cue/parser/parser.go
index 20e63c4..27b4e5b 100644
--- a/cue/parser/parser.go
+++ b/cue/parser/parser.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 	if p.mode&parseCommentsMode != 0 {
 		m = scanner.ScanComments
 	}
-	eh := func(pos token.Position, msg string) { p.errors.AddNew(pos, msg) }
+	eh := func(pos token.Pos, msg string) { p.errors.AddNew(pos, msg) }
 	p.scanner.Init(p.file, src, eh, m)
 
 	p.trace = p.mode&traceMode != 0 // for convenience (p.trace is used frequently)
@@ -343,14 +343,15 @@
 }
 
 func (p *parser) error(pos token.Pos, msg string) {
-	ePos := p.file.Position(pos)
+	// ePos := p.file.Position(pos)
+	ePos := pos
 
 	// If AllErrors is not set, discard errors reported on the same line
 	// as the last recorded error and stop parsing if there are more than
 	// 10 errors.
 	if p.mode&allErrorsMode == 0 {
 		n := len(p.errors)
-		if n > 0 && p.errors[n-1].Position().Line == ePos.Line {
+		if n > 0 && p.errors[n-1].Position().Line() == ePos.Line() {
 			return // discard - likely a spurious error
 		}
 		if n > 10 {
diff --git a/cue/scanner/scanner.go b/cue/scanner/scanner.go
index 03c9c19..c0617d4 100644
--- a/cue/scanner/scanner.go
+++ b/cue/scanner/scanner.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 
 func (s *Scanner) error(offs int, msg string) {
 	if s.err != nil {
-		s.err(s.file.Position(s.file.Pos(offs, 0)), msg)
+		s.err(s.file.Pos(offs, 0), msg)
 	}
 	s.ErrorCount++
 }
diff --git a/cue/scanner/scanner_test.go b/cue/scanner/scanner_test.go
index 9b0a8f7..18cbd3f 100644
--- a/cue/scanner/scanner_test.go
+++ b/cue/scanner/scanner_test.go
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@
 	whitespace_linecount := newlineCount(whitespace)
 
 	// error handler
-	eh := func(_ token.Position, msg string) {
+	eh := func(_ token.Pos, msg string) {
 		t.Errorf("error handler called (msg = %s)", msg)
 	}
 
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@
 
 func TestScanInterpolation(t *testing.T) {
 	// error handler
-	eh := func(pos token.Position, msg string) {
+	eh := func(pos token.Pos, msg string) {
 		t.Errorf("error handler called (pos = %v, msg = %s)", pos, msg)
 	}
 	trim := func(s string) string { return strings.Trim(s, `#"\\()`) }
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@
 		"~ ~ ~" // original file, line 1 again
 
 	var list errors.List
-	eh := func(pos token.Position, msg string) { list.AddNew(pos, msg) }
+	eh := func(pos token.Pos, msg string) { list.AddNew(pos, msg) }
 
 	var s Scanner
 	s.Init(token.NewFile("File1", 1, len(src)), []byte(src), eh, dontInsertCommas)
@@ -679,16 +679,16 @@
 }
 
 type errorCollector struct {
-	cnt int            // number of errors encountered
-	msg string         // last error message encountered
-	pos token.Position // last error position encountered
+	cnt int       // number of errors encountered
+	msg string    // last error message encountered
+	pos token.Pos // last error position encountered
 }
 
 func checkError(t *testing.T, src string, tok token.Token, pos int, lit, err string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	var s Scanner
 	var h errorCollector
-	eh := func(pos token.Position, msg string) {
+	eh := func(pos token.Pos, msg string) {
 		h.cnt++
 		h.msg = msg
 		h.pos = pos
@@ -711,8 +711,8 @@
 	if h.msg != err {
 		t.Errorf("%q: got msg %q, expected %q", src, h.msg, err)
 	}
-	if h.pos.Offset != pos {
-		t.Errorf("%q: got offset %d, expected %d", src, h.pos.Offset, pos)
+	if h.pos.Offset() != pos {
+		t.Errorf("%q: got offset %d, expected %d", src, h.pos.Offset(), pos)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cue/token/position.go b/cue/token/position.go
index a3bded3..9371083 100644
--- a/cue/token/position.go
+++ b/cue/token/position.go
@@ -84,6 +84,20 @@
 	return p.Position().Line
 }
 
+func (p Pos) Column() int {
+	if p.file == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return p.Position().Column
+}
+
+func (p Pos) Filename() string {
+	if p.file == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return p.Position().Filename
+}
+
 func (p Pos) Position() Position {
 	if p.file == nil {
 		return Position{}
@@ -150,7 +164,7 @@
 
 // Offset reports the byte offset relative to the file.
 func (p Pos) Offset() int {
-	return p.offset >> relShift
+	return p.Position().Offset
 }
 
 // Add creates a new position relative to the p offset by n.
diff --git a/cue/types.go b/cue/types.go
index 810753c..f168f35 100644
--- a/cue/types.go
+++ b/cue/types.go
@@ -796,12 +796,12 @@
 }
 
 // Pos returns position information.
-func (v Value) Pos() token.Position {
+func (v Value) Pos() token.Pos {
 	if v.path == nil || v.Source() == nil {
-		return token.Position{}
+		return token.NoPos
 	}
 	pos := v.Source().Pos()
-	return pos.Position()
+	return pos
 }
 
 // IsConcrete reports whether the current value is a concrete scalar value,