diff --git a/docs/metadesk_reference.md b/docs/metadesk_reference.md
index 67a39fb..f487767 100644
--- a/docs/metadesk_reference.md
+++ b/docs/metadesk_reference.md
@@ -1215,8 +1215,26 @@ main:
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ Error/Warning Helpers
 
+@send(Nodes)
+@func MD_Message: {
+    out: *FILE,
+    loc: MD_CodeLoc,
+    kind: MD_MessageKind,
+    str: MD_String8,
+};
+
+@send(Nodes)
+@func MD_Message: {
+    out: *FILE,
+    loc: MD_CodeLoc,
+    kind: MD_MessageKind,
+    fmt: *char,
+    "..."
+};
+
 @send(Nodes)
 @func MD_NodeMessage: {
+    out: *FILE,
     node: *MD_Node,
     kind: MD_MessageKind,
     str: MD_String8,
@@ -1224,6 +1242,7 @@ main:
 
 @send(Nodes)
 @func MD_NodeMessageF: {
+    out: *FILE,
     node: *MD_Node,
     kind: MD_MessageKind,
     fmt: *char,
diff --git a/samples/namespaced_types/namespaced_types.c b/samples/namespaced_types/namespaced_types.c
index 89a35f9..54f436f 100644
--- a/samples/namespaced_types/namespaced_types.c
+++ b/samples/namespaced_types/namespaced_types.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ int main(int argument_count, char **arguments)
     {
         for(MD_Error *error = spec.first_error; error; error = error->next)
         {
-            MD_NodeMessage(error->node, error->kind, error->string);
+            MD_NodeMessage(stderr, error->node, error->kind, error->string);
         }
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/samples/node_errors/node_errors.c b/samples/node_errors/node_errors.c
index d950375..ec01de6 100644
--- a/samples/node_errors/node_errors.c
+++ b/samples/node_errors/node_errors.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ int main(int argument_count, char **arguments)
     {
         for(MD_EachNode(node, root->first_child))
         {
-            MD_NodeMessageF(node, MD_MessageKind_Error, "This node has an error!");
+            MD_NodeMessageF(stderr, node, MD_MessageKind_Error, "This node has an error!");
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/source/md.h b/source/md.h
index 9dde566..ea43c0b 100644
--- a/source/md.h
+++ b/source/md.h
@@ -735,8 +735,10 @@ MD_FUNCTION MD_Node *  MD_SeekNodeWithFlags(MD_Node *start, MD_NodeFlags one_pas
 it##_r = it##_r->next, it = MD_Deref(it##_r)
 
 //~ Error/Warning Helpers
-MD_FUNCTION void MD_NodeMessage(MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str);
-MD_FUNCTION void MD_NodeMessageF(MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...);
+MD_FUNCTION void MD_Message(FILE *out, MD_CodeLoc loc, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str);
+MD_FUNCTION void MD_MessageF(FILE *out, MD_CodeLoc loc, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...);
+MD_FUNCTION void MD_NodeMessage(FILE *out, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str);
+MD_FUNCTION void MD_NodeMessageF(FILE *out, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...);
 
 //~ Tree Comparison/Verification
 MD_FUNCTION MD_b32 MD_NodeMatch(MD_Node *a, MD_Node *b, MD_MatchFlags flags);
diff --git a/source/md_impl.c b/source/md_impl.c
index 7bafc07..b832920 100644
--- a/source/md_impl.c
+++ b/source/md_impl.c
@@ -1168,8 +1168,7 @@ _MD_Error(MD_ParseCtx *ctx, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...)
 }
 
 #define _MD_TokenError(ctx, token, kind, fmt, ...) \
-_MD_Error(ctx, \
-_MD_MakeNode_Ctx(ctx, MD_NodeKind_ErrorMarker,\
+_MD_Error(ctx, _MD_MakeNode_Ctx(ctx, MD_NodeKind_ErrorMarker,\
 token.string, token.outer_string,\
 token.outer_string.str), \
 kind, fmt, __VA_ARGS__)
@@ -2402,24 +2401,39 @@ MD_SeekNodeWithFlags(MD_Node *start, MD_NodeFlags one_past_last_flags)
 
 //~ Error/Warning Helpers
 
-MD_FUNCTION_IMPL void
-MD_NodeMessage(MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str)
+MD_FUNCTION void
+MD_Message(FILE *out, MD_CodeLoc loc, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str)
 {
-    const char *kind_name = kind == MD_MessageKind_Error ? "error" : "warning";
-    MD_CodeLoc loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(node);
-    fprintf(stderr, "%.*s:%i:%i: %s: %.*s\n",
-            MD_StringExpand(loc.filename),
-            loc.line, loc.column,
-            kind_name,
-            MD_StringExpand(str));
+    const char *kind_name = ((kind == MD_MessageKind_Error) ? "error" : "warning");
+    fprintf(out, "%.*s:%i:%i: %s: %.*s\n",
+            MD_StringExpand(loc.filename), loc.line, loc.column,
+            kind_name, MD_StringExpand(str));
 }
 
 MD_FUNCTION_IMPL void
-MD_NodeMessageF(MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...)
+MD_MessageF(FILE *out, MD_CodeLoc loc, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...)
 {
+    // TODO(allen): use scratch
     va_list args;
     va_start(args, fmt);
-    MD_NodeMessage(node, kind ,MD_PushStringFV(fmt, args));
+    MD_Message(out, loc, kind, MD_PushStringFV(fmt, args));
+    va_end(args);
+}
+
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL void
+MD_NodeMessage(FILE *out, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, MD_String8 str)
+{
+    MD_CodeLoc loc = MD_CodeLocFromNode(node);
+    MD_Message(out, loc, kind, str);
+}
+
+MD_FUNCTION_IMPL void
+MD_NodeMessageF(FILE *out, MD_Node *node, MD_MessageKind kind, char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    // TODO(allen): use scratch
+    va_list args;
+    va_start(args, fmt);
+    MD_NodeMessage(out, node, kind, MD_PushStringFV(fmt, args));
     va_end(args);
 }