diff --git a/easybuild/tools/build_log.py b/easybuild/tools/build_log.py
index b64b5f648e..b663dbe30e 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/build_log.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/build_log.py
@@ -57,13 +57,17 @@ class EasyBuildError(LoggedException):
     """
     EasyBuildError is thrown when EasyBuild runs into something horribly wrong.
     """
+    LOC_INFO_TOP_PKG_NAMES = ['easybuild', 'vsc']
+    LOC_INFO_LEVEL = 1
+
     # use custom error logging method, to make sure EasyBuildError isn't being raised again to avoid infinite recursion
     # only required because 'error' log method raises (should no longer be needed in EB v3.x)
     LOGGING_METHOD_NAME = '_error_no_raise'
 
     def __init__(self, msg, *args):
         """Constructor: initialise EasyBuildError instance."""
-        msg = msg % args
+        if args:
+            msg = msg % args
         LoggedException.__init__(self, msg)
         self.msg = msg
 
@@ -133,7 +137,7 @@ def _error_no_raise(self, msg):
         orig_raise_error = self.raiseError
         self.raiseError = False
 
-        self.error(msg)
+        fancylogger.FancyLogger.error(self, msg)
 
         # reinstate previous raiseError setting
         self.raiseError = orig_raise_error
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4fecf38036..6335ba4f77 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -106,5 +106,5 @@ def find_rel_test():
     provides=["eb"] + easybuild_packages,
     test_suite="test.framework.suite",
     zip_safe=False,
-    install_requires=["vsc-base >= 2.1.1"],
+    install_requires=["vsc-base >= 2.2.0"],
 )
diff --git a/test/framework/build_log.py b/test/framework/build_log.py
index cd97e53b32..e4773e83e6 100644
--- a/test/framework/build_log.py
+++ b/test/framework/build_log.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def test_easybuilderror(self):
         self.assertErrorRegex(EasyBuildError, 'BOOM', raise_easybuilderror, 'BOOM')
         logToFile(tmplog, enable=False)
 
-        log_re = re.compile("^%s :: EasyBuild crashed .*: BOOM$" % getRootLoggerName(), re.M)
+        log_re = re.compile("^%s :: BOOM \(at %s:[0-9]+ in [a-z_]+\)$" % (getRootLoggerName(), __file__), re.M)
         logtxt = open(tmplog, 'r').read()
         self.assertTrue(log_re.match(logtxt), "%s matches %s" % (log_re.pattern, logtxt))
 
diff --git a/test/framework/options.py b/test/framework/options.py
index 0f381055a0..038844dac1 100644
--- a/test/framework/options.py
+++ b/test/framework/options.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def test_no_args(self):
 
         outtxt = self.eb_main([])
 
-        error_msg = "ERROR .* Please provide one or multiple easyconfig files,"
+        error_msg = "ERROR Please provide one or multiple easyconfig files,"
         error_msg += " or use software build options to make EasyBuild search for easyconfigs"
         self.assertTrue(re.search(error_msg, outtxt), "Error message when eb is run without arguments")
 
@@ -922,9 +922,10 @@ def test_no_such_software(self):
         outtxt = self.eb_main(args)
 
         # error message when template is not found
-        error_msg1 = "ERROR .* No easyconfig files found for software nosuchsoftware, and no templates available. I'm all out of ideas."
+        error_msg1 = "ERROR No easyconfig files found for software nosuchsoftware, and no templates available. "
+        error_msg1 += "I'm all out of ideas."
         # error message when template is found
-        error_msg2 = "ERROR .* Unable to find an easyconfig for the given specifications"
+        error_msg2 = "ERROR Unable to find an easyconfig for the given specifications"
         msg = "Error message when eb can't find software with specified name (outtxt: %s)" % outtxt
         self.assertTrue(re.search(error_msg1, outtxt) or re.search(error_msg2, outtxt), msg)