diff --git a/libguile/ChangeLog b/libguile/ChangeLog
index 8d2555da1..cec0dda84 100644
--- a/libguile/ChangeLog
+++ b/libguile/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2007-01-18  Han-Wen Nienhuys  <hanwen@lilypond.org>
+
+	* throw.c (scm_ithrow): more refined error message: print symbols
+	too.
+
 2007-01-16  Kevin Ryde  <user42@zip.com.au>
 
 	* feature.c, feature.h (scm_set_program_arguments_scm): New function,
diff --git a/libguile/throw.c b/libguile/throw.c
index 86e4d1fa7..9bffda770 100644
--- a/libguile/throw.c
+++ b/libguile/throw.c
@@ -711,9 +711,16 @@ scm_ithrow (SCM key, SCM args, int noreturn SCM_UNUSED)
 
       
       for (; scm_is_pair (s); s = scm_cdr (s), i++)
-	if (scm_is_string (scm_car (s)))
-	  fprintf (stderr, "argument %d: %s\n", i, scm_i_string_chars (scm_car (s)));
-      
+	{
+	  char const *str = NULL;
+	  if (scm_is_string (scm_car (s)))
+	    str = scm_i_string_chars (scm_car (s));
+	  else if (scm_is_symbol (scm_car (s)))
+	    str = scm_i_symbol_chars (scm_car (s));
+	  
+	  if (str != NULL)
+	    fprintf (stderr, "argument %d: %s\n", i, str);
+	}
       abort ();
     }