diff --git a/cmd/webhook/admission/admission_test.go b/cmd/webhook/admission/admission_test.go
index a2ad4b26da..3ab47c2c30 100644
--- a/cmd/webhook/admission/admission_test.go
+++ b/cmd/webhook/admission/admission_test.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func TestRouteGroupAdmitter(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip filters",
 			inputFile: "rg-with-invalid-eskip-filters.json",
-			message:   "parse failed after token status, last route id: , position 11: syntax error",
+			message:   "parse failed after token status, position 11: syntax error",
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "valid eskip predicates",
@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ func TestRouteGroupAdmitter(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip predicates",
 			inputFile: "rg-with-invalid-eskip-predicates.json",
-			message:   "parse failed after token Method, last route id: Method, position 6: syntax error",
+			message:   "parse failed after token Method, position 6: syntax error",
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip filters and predicates",
 			inputFile: "rg-with-invalid-eskip-filters-and-predicates.json",
-			message:   "parse failed after token status, last route id: , position 11: syntax error\\nparse failed after token Method, last route id: Method, position 6: syntax error",
+			message:   "parse failed after token status, position 11: syntax error\\nparse failed after token Method, position 6: syntax error",
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "invalid routgroup multiple filters per json/yaml array item",
@@ -180,12 +180,12 @@ func TestIngressAdmitter(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip filters",
 			inputFile: "invalid-filters.json",
-			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-filter\" annotation: parse failed after token this, last route id: , position 9: syntax error`,
+			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-filter\" annotation: parse failed after token this, position 9: syntax error`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip predicates",
 			inputFile: "invalid-predicates.json",
-			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-predicate\" annotation: parse failed after token ), last route id: , position 15: syntax error`,
+			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-predicate\" annotation: parse failed after token ), position 15: syntax error`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip routes",
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func TestIngressAdmitter(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:      "invalid eskip filters and predicates",
 			inputFile: "invalid-filters-and-predicates.json",
-			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-filter\" annotation: parse failed after token this, last route id: , position 9: syntax error\ninvalid \"zalando.org/skipper-predicate\" annotation: parse failed after token ), last route id: , position 15: syntax error`,
+			message:   `invalid \"zalando.org/skipper-filter\" annotation: parse failed after token this, position 9: syntax error\ninvalid \"zalando.org/skipper-predicate\" annotation: parse failed after token ), position 15: syntax error`,
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 2eeecba8da..c875bc6565 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func Test_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 				c.KubernetesEastWestRangePredicatesString = "WrongEastWestMode"
 			},
 			wantErr: true,
-			want:    errors.New("invalid east-west-range-predicates: parse failed after token ->, last route id: WrongEastWestMode, position 20: syntax error"),
+			want:    errors.New("invalid east-west-range-predicates: parse failed after token ->, position 20: syntax error"),
 		},
 		{
 			name: "test wrong HistoGramBuckets",
diff --git a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-filter.log b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-filter.log
index 65bef8d5c6..b90ceb446a 100644
--- a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-filter.log
+++ b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-filter.log
@@ -1 +1 @@
-\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, last route id: , position 8: syntax error
+\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, position 8: syntax error
diff --git a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-predicate.log b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-predicate.log
index 927c39515a..79e38a257c 100644
--- a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-predicate.log
+++ b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/failing-predicate.log
@@ -1 +1 @@
-\[routegroup\] parse failed after token Header, last route id: Header, position 6: syntax error
+\[routegroup\] parse failed after token Header, position 6: syntax error
diff --git a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/no-catchall-for-failed-route-group.log b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/no-catchall-for-failed-route-group.log
index 65bef8d5c6..b90ceb446a 100644
--- a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/no-catchall-for-failed-route-group.log
+++ b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/no-catchall-for-failed-route-group.log
@@ -1 +1 @@
-\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, last route id: , position 8: syntax error
+\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, position 8: syntax error
diff --git a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/single-failing-route-makes-the-group-fail.log b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/single-failing-route-makes-the-group-fail.log
index e3fc6060a0..ba158256c3 100644
--- a/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/single-failing-route-makes-the-group-fail.log
+++ b/dataclients/kubernetes/testdata/routegroups/convert/single-failing-route-makes-the-group-fail.log
@@ -1 +1 @@
-\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, last route id: foo, position 3: syntax error
+\[routegroup\] parse failed after token foo, position 3: syntax error
diff --git a/eskip/eskip_test.go b/eskip/eskip_test.go
index 2324285276..85d002b336 100644
--- a/eskip/eskip_test.go
+++ b/eskip/eskip_test.go
@@ -163,8 +163,7 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 		"syntax without id",
 		`* -> #`,
 		nil,
-		// TODO: remove empty last route id
-		"parse failed after token ->, last route id: , position 5: syntax error",
+		"parse failed after token ->, position 5: syntax error",
 	}} {
 		t.Run(ti.msg, func(t *testing.T) {
 			routes, err := Parse(ti.expression)
@@ -220,14 +219,14 @@ func TestParseFilters(t *testing.T) {
 		"error",
 		"trallala",
 		nil,
-		// TODO: remove empty last route id and fix position
-		"parse failed after token ->, last route id: , position 16: syntax error",
+		// TODO: fix position
+		"parse failed after token ->, position 16: syntax error",
 	}, {
 		"error 2",
 		"foo-bar",
 		nil,
-		// TODO: remove empty last route id and fix position
-		"parse failed after token foo, last route id: , position 8: syntax error",
+		// TODO: fix position
+		"parse failed after token foo, position 8: syntax error",
 	}, {
 		"success",
 		`filter1(3.14) -> filter2("key", 42)`,
@@ -259,13 +258,11 @@ func TestParsePredicates(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		title: "invalid",
 		input: `not predicates`,
-		// TODO: fix wrong last route id
-		err: "parse failed after token predicates, last route id: not, position 14: syntax error",
+		err:   "parse failed after token predicates, position 14: syntax error",
 	}, {
 		title: "invalid",
 		input: `Header#`,
-		// TODO: fix wrong last route id
-		err: "parse failed after token Header, last route id: Header, position 6: syntax error",
+		err:   "parse failed after token Header, position 6: syntax error",
 	}, {
 		title:    "single predicate",
 		input:    `Foo("bar")`,
diff --git a/eskip/lexer.go b/eskip/lexer.go
index 4100870073..c49942f190 100644
--- a/eskip/lexer.go
+++ b/eskip/lexer.go
@@ -367,7 +367,11 @@ func (l *eskipLex) Lex(lval *eskipSymType) int {
 }
 
 func (l *eskipLex) Error(err string) {
+	lastRouteID := ""
+	if l.lastRouteID != "" {
+		lastRouteID = ", last route id: " + l.lastRouteID
+	}
 	l.err = fmt.Errorf(
-		"parse failed after token %s, last route id: %v, position %d: %s",
-		l.lastToken, l.lastRouteID, l.initialLength-len(l.code), err)
+		"parse failed after token %s%s, position %d: %s",
+		l.lastToken, lastRouteID, l.initialLength-len(l.code), err)
 }
diff --git a/eskip/parser.go b/eskip/parser.go
index cf322afbee..569ff7f323 100644
--- a/eskip/parser.go
+++ b/eskip/parser.go
@@ -93,30 +93,30 @@ var eskipExca = [...]int8{
 
 const eskipPrivate = 57344
 
-const eskipLast = 62
+const eskipLast = 64
 
 var eskipAct = [...]int8{
-	34, 40, 32, 31, 24, 17, 20, 21, 22, 25,
-	27, 26, 19, 48, 36, 9, 37, 25, 41, 9,
-	16, 25, 25, 3, 10, 7, 14, 42, 29, 43,
-	4, 55, 8, 45, 44, 49, 45, 30, 28, 19,
-	50, 15, 13, 47, 46, 38, 23, 51, 52, 39,
-	53, 42, 54, 12, 35, 11, 33, 18, 5, 6,
-	2, 1,
+	34, 40, 32, 31, 26, 19, 22, 23, 24, 27,
+	29, 28, 21, 48, 36, 9, 37, 27, 41, 9,
+	18, 27, 27, 7, 10, 49, 43, 15, 14, 42,
+	16, 16, 8, 55, 4, 45, 30, 50, 44, 21,
+	45, 15, 3, 47, 46, 17, 38, 51, 52, 13,
+	53, 42, 54, 12, 25, 11, 39, 35, 33, 20,
+	5, 6, 2, 1,
 }
 
 var eskipPact = [...]int16{
-	14, -1000, 11, -1000, -1000, 49, 34, -1000, 15, -1000,
-	2, -8, 10, 10, 4, -1000, -1000, -1000, 39, -1000,
-	-1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, 0, 18, -1000, 15,
-	-1000, 27, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -8, -7,
-	26, 31, -1000, 4, -1000, 4, -1000, -1000, -1000, 5,
-	5, 24, -1000, -1000, 26, -1000,
+	14, -1000, 11, -1000, -1000, 49, 10, -1000, 19, -1000,
+	2, -8, 10, -1000, 20, -1000, 4, -1000, 33, -1000,
+	40, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, 0, 15,
+	-1000, 31, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -1000, -8, -7,
+	16, 28, -1000, 4, -1000, 4, -1000, -1000, -1000, 5,
+	5, 26, -1000, -1000, 16, -1000,
 }
 
 var eskipPgo = [...]int8{
-	0, 61, 60, 23, 30, 59, 58, 5, 57, 25,
-	3, 4, 2, 56, 0, 54, 1, 49, 46,
+	0, 63, 62, 42, 34, 61, 60, 5, 59, 23,
+	3, 4, 2, 58, 0, 57, 1, 56, 54,
 }
 
 var eskipR1 = [...]int8{
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ var eskipR1 = [...]int8{
 }
 
 var eskipR2 = [...]int8{
-	0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 3, 2, 3, 1, 3,
+	0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3,
 	5, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 3, 4, 0, 1,
 	3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 1,
 	1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
@@ -135,18 +135,18 @@ var eskipR2 = [...]int8{
 
 var eskipChk = [...]int16{
 	-1000, -1, -2, -3, -4, -6, -5, -9, 18, 5,
-	13, 6, 4, 8, 11, -4, 18, -7, -8, -14,
-	14, 15, 16, -18, -11, 17, 19, 18, -9, 18,
-	-3, -10, -12, -13, -14, -15, 10, 12, 6, -17,
+	13, 6, 4, -3, 18, 8, 11, -4, 18, -7,
+	-8, -14, 14, 15, 16, -18, -11, 17, 19, 18,
+	-9, -10, -12, -13, -14, -15, 10, 12, 6, -17,
 	-16, 18, -14, 11, 7, 9, -7, -11, 20, 9,
 	9, -10, -12, -14, -16, 7,
 }
 
 var eskipDef = [...]int8{
-	3, -2, 1, 2, 4, 0, 0, 11, 8, 13,
-	6, 0, 0, 0, 18, 5, 8, 9, 0, 29,
-	30, 31, 32, 33, 15, 35, 0, 0, 12, 0,
-	7, 0, 19, 21, 22, 23, 34, 36, 0, 0,
+	3, -2, 1, 2, 4, 0, 0, 11, 0, 13,
+	6, 0, 0, 7, 0, 8, 18, 5, 0, 9,
+	0, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 15, 35, 0, 0,
+	12, 0, 19, 21, 22, 23, 34, 36, 0, 0,
 	26, 0, 24, 18, 14, 0, 10, 16, 28, 0,
 	0, 0, 20, 25, 27, 17,
 }
@@ -528,14 +528,15 @@ eskipdefault:
 			eskipVAL.routes = eskipDollar[1].routes
 		}
 	case 7:
-		eskipDollar = eskipS[eskippt-3 : eskippt+1]
+		eskipDollar = eskipS[eskippt-2 : eskippt+1]
 		{
-			eskipVAL.route = eskipDollar[3].route
+			eskipVAL.route = eskipDollar[2].route
 			eskipVAL.route.id = eskipDollar[1].token
 		}
 	case 8:
-		eskipDollar = eskipS[eskippt-1 : eskippt+1]
+		eskipDollar = eskipS[eskippt-2 : eskippt+1]
 		{
+			// match symbol and colon to get route id early even if route parsing fails later
 			eskipVAL.token = eskipDollar[1].token
 			eskiplex.(*eskipLex).lastRouteID = eskipDollar[1].token
 		}
diff --git a/eskip/parser.y b/eskip/parser.y
index 14061b2ddf..86a7048d23 100644
--- a/eskip/parser.y
+++ b/eskip/parser.y
@@ -98,13 +98,14 @@ routes:
 	}
 
 routedef:
-	routeid colon route {
-		$$.route = $3.route
+	routeid route {
+		$$.route = $2.route
 		$$.route.id = $1.token
 	}
 
 routeid:
-	symbol {
+	symbol colon {
+		// match symbol and colon to get route id early even if route parsing fails later
 		$$.token = $1.token
 		eskiplex.(*eskipLex).lastRouteID = $1.token
 	}