I've noticed that sometimes company raises an error in my *scratch*, I've shrinked the case and got: (with-current-buffer (get-buffer-create "pwp") (erase-buffer) (insert "((eg \"\C-,\")") (elisp--local-variables)) Evaluating this sexp raises "Invalid modifier in string" error Not sure this is intended, I think elisp--local-variables expects `invalid-read-syntax` error for this input, but got another error and does not handle it preventing error from happening -- lg