diff --git a/plugin/cobol.py b/plugin/cobol.py
index 9d940f0e34b050ba02fcb30a50085db94d2d0875..fe74385bdb2298868ed40f6659562125eace41cb 100755
--- a/plugin/cobol.py
+++ b/plugin/cobol.py
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ def cobol_Renumber():
       try:
         last_line_no = int(lines[i][:6])
       except ValueError:
-          print('Malformed line (%d) - has non-numbers in columns 1-6' % i - 1)
-          return
+        print('Error: line %d has non-numbers in columns 1-6' % (i + 1))
+        return
       if gap:
         delta = math.floor((last_line_no - gap['last_line_no']) /
           (i - gap['i'] + 1))