diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/path/join.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/path/join.rs
index 51cade4c1a..94d8179b93 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/path/join.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/path/join.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ fn handle_value(v: Value, args: &Arguments, head: Span) -> Value {
     match v {
         Value::String { ref val, span } => join_single(Path::new(val), span, args),
         Value::Record { cols, vals, span } => join_record(&cols, &vals, span, args),
-        Value::List { vals, span } => join_list(&vals, span, args),
+        Value::List { vals, span } => join_list(&vals, span, head, args),
 
         _ => super::handle_invalid_values(v, head),
     }
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ fn join_single(path: &Path, span: Span, args: &Arguments) -> Value {
     Value::string(result.to_string_lossy(), span)
 }
 
-fn join_list(parts: &[Value], span: Span, args: &Arguments) -> Value {
+fn join_list(parts: &[Value], span: Span, head: Span, args: &Arguments) -> Value {
     let path: Result<PathBuf, ShellError> = parts.iter().map(Value::as_string).collect();
 
     match path {
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ fn join_list(parts: &[Value], span: Span, args: &Arguments) -> Value {
                     Value::List { vals, span }
                 }
                 Err(_) => Value::Error {
-                    error: ShellError::PipelineMismatch("string or record".into(), span, span),
+                    error: ShellError::PipelineMismatch("string or record".into(), head, span),
                 },
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/sort_utils.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/sort_utils.rs
index f504b01668..00b597d126 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/sort_utils.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/sort_utils.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ pub fn sort(
         Value::Record {
             cols,
             vals: _input_vals,
-            ..
+            span: val_span,
         } => {
             if sort_columns.is_empty() {
                 // This uses the same format as the 'requires a column name' error in split_by.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ pub fn sort(
             }
 
             if let Some(nonexistent) = nonexistent_column(sort_columns.clone(), cols.to_vec()) {
-                return Err(ShellError::CantFindColumn(nonexistent, span, span));
+                return Err(ShellError::CantFindColumn(nonexistent, span, *val_span));
             }
 
             // check to make sure each value in each column in the record
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/strings/size.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/strings/size.rs
index 0069e233ca..3f89e8505b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/strings/size.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/strings/size.rs
@@ -162,11 +162,19 @@ fn size(
 ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
     let span = call.head;
     input.map(
-        move |v| match v.as_string() {
-            Ok(s) => counter(&s, span),
-            Err(_) => Value::Error {
-                error: ShellError::PipelineMismatch("string".into(), span, span),
-            },
+        move |v| {
+            // First, obtain the span. If this fails, propagate the error that results.
+            let value_span = match v.span() {
+                Err(v) => return Value::Error { error: v },
+                Ok(v) => v,
+            };
+            // Now, check if it's a string.
+            match v.as_string() {
+                Ok(s) => counter(&s, span),
+                Err(_) => Value::Error {
+                    error: ShellError::PipelineMismatch("string".into(), span, value_span),
+                },
+            }
         },
         engine_state.ctrlc.clone(),
     )