diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/helpers.js b/lib/coffee-script/helpers.js
index 5c72acf2..1b33005d 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/helpers.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/helpers.js
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
     codeLine = this.code.split('\n')[first_line];
     start = first_column;
     end = first_line === last_line ? last_column + 1 : codeLine.length;
-    marker = repeat(' ', start) + repeat('^', end - start);
+    marker = codeLine.slice(0, start).replace(/[^\s]/g, ' ') + repeat('^', end - start);
     if (typeof process !== "undefined" && process !== null) {
       colorsEnabled = process.stdout.isTTY && !process.env.NODE_DISABLE_COLORS;
     }
diff --git a/src/helpers.coffee b/src/helpers.coffee
index 98792cd0..4ab4f954 100644
--- a/src/helpers.coffee
+++ b/src/helpers.coffee
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ syntaxErrorToString = ->
   start    = first_column
   # Show only the first line on multi-line errors.
   end      = if first_line is last_line then last_column + 1 else codeLine.length
-  marker   = repeat(' ', start) + repeat('^', end - start)
+  marker   = codeLine[...start].replace(/[^\s]/g, ' ') + repeat('^', end - start)
 
   # Check to see if we're running on a color-enabled TTY.
   if process?
diff --git a/test/error_messages.coffee b/test/error_messages.coffee
index 551f3b5e..21886f6a 100644
--- a/test/error_messages.coffee
+++ b/test/error_messages.coffee
@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ test "compiler error formatting", ->
                  ^^^^
   '''
 
+test "compiler error formatting with mixed tab and space", ->
+  assertErrorFormat """
+    \t  if a
+    \t  test
+  """,
+  '''
+    [stdin]:1:4: error: unexpected if
+    \t  if a
+    \t  ^^
+  '''
+
 
 if require?
   fs   = require 'fs'