diff --git a/src/tool_getparam.h b/src/tool_getparam.h
index 4d34541393..e3cbe5454a 100644
--- a/src/tool_getparam.h
+++ b/src/tool_getparam.h
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ struct LongShort {
 typedef enum {
   PARAM_OK = 0,
   PARAM_OPTION_UNKNOWN,
+  PARAM_CONFIG_OPTION_UNKNOWN,
   PARAM_REQUIRES_PARAMETER,
   PARAM_BAD_USE,
   PARAM_HELP_REQUESTED,
diff --git a/src/tool_helpers.c b/src/tool_helpers.c
index 2a84accf2c..a23c3a80e7 100644
--- a/src/tool_helpers.c
+++ b/src/tool_helpers.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ const char *param2text(ParameterError error)
     return "had unsupported trailing garbage";
   case PARAM_OPTION_UNKNOWN:
     return "is unknown";
+  case PARAM_CONFIG_OPTION_UNKNOWN:
+    return "found an unknown config option";
   case PARAM_REQUIRES_PARAMETER:
     return "requires parameter";
   case PARAM_BAD_USE:
diff --git a/src/tool_parsecfg.c b/src/tool_parsecfg.c
index 01594644fb..33e91d1f0c 100644
--- a/src/tool_parsecfg.c
+++ b/src/tool_parsecfg.c
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ ParameterError parseconfig(const char *filename, int max_recursive,
         param = curlx_dyn_len(&pbuf) ? curlx_dyn_ptr(&pbuf) : CURL_UNCONST("");
       }
       else {
+        if(*line == '\'') {
+          warnf("%s:%d Option '%s' uses argument with leading single quote. "
+                "It is probably a mistake. Consider double quotes.",
+                filename, lineno, option);
+        }
         param = line; /* parameter starts here */
         while(*line && !ISSPACE(*line)) /* stop also on CRLF */
           line++;
@@ -192,7 +197,7 @@ ParameterError parseconfig(const char *filename, int max_recursive,
           case '#': /* comment */
             break;
           default:
-            warnf("%s:%d: warning: '%s' uses unquoted whitespace. "
+            warnf("%s:%d Option '%s' uses argument with unquoted whitespace. "
                   "This may cause side-effects. Consider double quotes.",
                   filename, lineno, option);
           }
@@ -240,11 +245,11 @@ ParameterError parseconfig(const char *filename, int max_recursive,
            res != PARAM_VERSION_INFO_REQUESTED &&
            res != PARAM_ENGINES_REQUESTED &&
            res != PARAM_CA_EMBED_REQUESTED) {
-          /* only show error in the first level config call */
-          if(max_recursive == CONFIG_MAX_LEVELS) {
-            const char *reason = param2text(res);
-            errorf("%s:%d: '%s' %s", filename, lineno, option, reason);
-          }
+          const char *reason = param2text(res);
+          errorf("%s:%d config file option '%s' %s",
+                 filename, lineno, option, reason);
+          if(res == PARAM_OPTION_UNKNOWN)
+            res = PARAM_CONFIG_OPTION_UNKNOWN;
           err = res;
         }
       }
diff --git a/tests/data/Makefile.am b/tests/data/Makefile.am
index ca44e3d2b0..ecbcc28fe9 100644
--- a/tests/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/data/Makefile.am
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ test1670 test1671 \
 test1680 test1681 test1682 test1683 \
 \
 test1700 test1701 test1702 test1703 test1704 test1705 test1706 test1707 \
-test1708 test1709 test1710 test1711 \
+test1708 test1709 test1710 test1711 test1712 \
 \
 test1800 test1801 test1802 test1847 test1848 \
 \
diff --git a/tests/data/test1712 b/tests/data/test1712
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2466939ff2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/test1712
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="US-ASCII"?>
+<testcase>
+<info>
+<keywords>
+HTTP
+--config
+</keywords>
+</info>
+
+# Server-side
+<reply>
+<data crlf="headers">
+HTTP/1.1 200 OK
+Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:49:00 GMT
+Server: test-server/fake
+Last-Modified: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 12:10:00 GMT
+ETag: "21025-dc7-39462498"
+Accept-Ranges: bytes
+Content-Length: 6
+Connection: close
+Content-Type: text/html
+Funny-head: yesyes
+
+-foo-
+</data>
+</reply>
+
+# Client-side
+<client>
+<server>
+http
+</server>
+<name>
+config file with argument using single quotes
+</name>
+<file name="%LOGDIR/config">
+data = 'arg-with-quote'
+</file>
+<command>
+http://%HOSTIP:%HTTPPORT/%TESTNUMBER --config %LOGDIR/config --silent
+</command>
+</client>
+
+# Verify data after the test has been "shot"
+<verify>
+<protocol crlf="yes" nonewline="yes">
+POST /%TESTNUMBER HTTP/1.1
+Host: %HOSTIP:%HTTPPORT
+User-Agent: curl/%VERSION
+Accept: */*
+Content-Length: 16
+Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
+
+'arg-with-quote'
+</protocol>
+<stderr mode="text">
+Warning: %LOGDIR/config:1 Option 'data' uses argument with leading single quote.%SP
+Warning: It is probably a mistake. Consider double quotes.
+</stderr>
+</verify>
+</testcase>
diff --git a/tests/data/test459 b/tests/data/test459
index 5d62307728..7a2e1db7b3 100644
--- a/tests/data/test459
+++ b/tests/data/test459
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
 arg
 </protocol>
 <stderr mode="text">
-Warning: %LOGDIR/config:1: warning: 'data' uses unquoted whitespace. This may%SP
-Warning: cause side-effects. Consider double quotes.
+Warning: %LOGDIR/config:1 Option 'data' uses argument with unquoted whitespace.%SP
+Warning: This may cause side-effects. Consider double quotes.
 </stderr>
 </verify>
 </testcase>