diff --git a/gnu.scm b/gnu.scm
index 913ce6160..6dde968f1 100644
--- a/gnu.scm
+++ b/gnu.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015 Joshua S. Grant <jgrant@parenthetical.io>
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Mathieu Othacehe <m.othacehe@gmail.com>
 ;;;
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 ;;; along with GNU Guix.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 (define-module (gnu)
+  #:use-module (guix utils)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-34)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-35)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 match)
   #:export (use-package-modules
             use-service-modules
             use-system-modules))
@@ -52,13 +56,46 @@
                   (module-use! i (resolve-interface m))))
               %public-modules)))
 
+(define (%try-use-modules modules location)
+  "Attempt to load all of MODULES.  Report errors as coming from LOCATION, a
+source property alist."
+  (define (location->string loc)
+    (match loc
+      (#f "")
+      (($ <location> file line column)
+       (format #f "~a:~a:~a: " file line column))))
+
+  (for-each (lambda (module)
+              (catch 'misc-error
+                (lambda ()
+                  (process-use-modules `((,module))))
+                (lambda _
+                  (raise (condition
+                          (&message
+                           ;; TODO: Suggest a module with a similar name.
+                           (message
+                            (let-syntax ((G_ (syntax-rules ()
+                                               ((_ str) str))))
+                              (format #f
+                                      (G_ "module ~a could not be found~%")
+                                      module))))
+                          (&error-location
+                           (location location)))))))
+            modules))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (try-use-modules modules ...)
+  (eval-when (expand load eval)
+    (%try-use-modules '(modules ...)
+                      (source-properties->location
+                       (current-source-location)))))
+
 (define-syntax-rule (use-package-modules module ...)
-  (use-modules (gnu packages module) ...))
+  (try-use-modules (gnu packages module) ...))
 
 (define-syntax-rule (use-service-modules module ...)
-  (use-modules (gnu services module) ...))
+  (try-use-modules (gnu services module) ...))
 
 (define-syntax-rule (use-system-modules module ...)
-  (use-modules (gnu system module) ...))
+  (try-use-modules (gnu system module) ...))
 
 ;;; gnu.scm ends here
diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index 3c8734a7d..cd3a44fb4 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -272,9 +272,15 @@ ARGS is the list of arguments received by the 'throw' handler."
                (location->string loc) message)))
     (('srfi-34 obj)
      (if (message-condition? obj)
-         (report-error (G_ "~a~%")
-                       (gettext (condition-message obj)
-                                %gettext-domain))
+         (if (error-location? obj)
+             (format (current-error-port)
+                     (G_ "~a: ~a~%")
+                     (location->string (error-location obj))
+                     (gettext (condition-message obj)
+                              %gettext-domain))
+             (report-error (G_ "~a~%")
+                           (gettext (condition-message obj)
+                                    %gettext-domain)))
          (report-error (G_ "exception thrown: ~s~%") obj)))
     ((error args ...)
      (report-error (G_ "failed to load '~a':~%") file)
@@ -538,6 +544,11 @@ interpreted."
 directories:~{ ~a~}~%")
                     (file-search-error-file-name c)
                     (file-search-error-search-path c)))
+            ((and (error-location? c) (message-condition? c))
+             (format (current-error-port)
+                     (G_ "~a: ~a~%")
+                     (location->string (error-location c))
+                     (gettext (condition-message c) %gettext-domain)))
             ((message-condition? c)
              ;; Normally '&message' error conditions have an i18n'd message.
              (leave (G_ "~a~%")
diff --git a/guix/utils.scm b/guix/utils.scm
index eb1ec29b3..e25e2299e 100644
--- a/guix/utils.scm
+++ b/guix/utils.scm
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-9)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-11)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-35)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-39)
   #:use-module (ice-9 binary-ports)
   #:autoload   (rnrs io ports) (make-custom-binary-input-port)
@@ -60,6 +61,10 @@
             source-properties->location
             location->source-properties
 
+            &error-location
+            error-location?
+            error-location
+
             nix-system->gnu-triplet
             gnu-triplet->nix-system
             %current-system
@@ -750,6 +755,10 @@ a location object."
     (column   . ,(location-column loc))
     (filename . ,(location-file loc))))
 
+(define-condition-type &error-location &error
+  error-location?
+  (location  error-location))                     ;<location>
+
 ;;; Local Variables:
 ;;; eval: (put 'call-with-progress-reporter 'scheme-indent-function 1)
 ;;; End:
diff --git a/po/guix/POTFILES.in b/po/guix/POTFILES.in
index e3f767cc6..6510b99e8 100644
--- a/po/guix/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/guix/POTFILES.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # List of source files which contain translatable strings.
 # This should be source files of the various tools, and not package modules.
+gnu.scm
 gnu/packages.scm
 gnu/services.scm
 gnu/system.scm