diff --git a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/parse.cpp b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/parse.cpp
index 91b2b2786..a3f4186fc 100644
--- a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/parse.cpp
+++ b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/parse.cpp
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <vcpkg/parse.h>
 
-#include <vcpkg/base/util.h>
 #include <vcpkg/base/system.print.h>
+#include <vcpkg/base/util.h>
 
 namespace vcpkg::Parse
 {
@@ -45,10 +45,7 @@ namespace vcpkg::Parse
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-	static bool is_whitespace(char c)
-	{
-		return c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '\n' || c == '\r';
-	}
+    static bool is_whitespace(char c) { return c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '\n' || c == '\r'; }
 
     std::vector<std::string> parse_comma_list(const std::string& str)
     {
@@ -59,73 +56,86 @@ namespace vcpkg::Parse
 
         std::vector<std::string> out;
 
-		auto iter = str.cbegin();
+        auto iter = str.cbegin();
 
-		do {
-			// Trim leading whitespace of each element
-			while (iter != str.cend() && is_whitespace(*iter))
-			{
-				++iter;
-			}
+        do
+        {
+            // Trim leading whitespace of each element
+            while (iter != str.cend() && is_whitespace(*iter))
+            {
+                ++iter;
+            }
 
-			// Allow commas inside of [].
-			bool bracket_nesting = false;
+            // Allow commas inside of [].
+            bool bracket_nesting = false;
 
-			auto element_begin = iter;
-			auto element_end = iter;
-			while (iter != str.cend() && (*iter != ',' || bracket_nesting))
-			{
-				char value = *iter;
+            auto element_begin = iter;
+            auto element_end = iter;
+            while (iter != str.cend() && (*iter != ',' || bracket_nesting))
+            {
+                char value = *iter;
 
-				// do not support nested []
-				if (value == '[')
-				{
-					bracket_nesting = true;
-				}
-				else if (value == ']')
-				{
-					bracket_nesting = false;
-				}
+                // do not support nested []
+                if (value == '[')
+                {
+                    Checks::check_exit(VCPKG_LINE_INFO,
+                                       !bracket_nesting,
+                                       "Lists do not support nested brackets, Did you forget a ']'?\n"
+                                       ">    '%s'\n"
+                                       ">     %s^\n",
+                                       str,
+                                       std::string(static_cast<int>(iter - str.cbegin()), ' '));
+                    bracket_nesting = true;
+                }
+                else if (value == ']')
+                {
+                    Checks::check_exit(VCPKG_LINE_INFO,
+                                       bracket_nesting,
+                                       "Found unmatched ']'.  Did you forget a '['?\n"
+                                       ">    '%s'\n"
+                                       ">     %s^\n",
+                                       str,
+                                       std::string(static_cast<int>(iter - str.cbegin()), ' '));
+                    bracket_nesting = false;
+                }
 
-				++iter;
+                ++iter;
 
-				// Trim ending whitespace
-				if (!is_whitespace(value))
-				{
-					// Update element_end after iter is incremented so it will be one past.
-					element_end = iter;
-				}
-			}
+                // Trim ending whitespace
+                if (!is_whitespace(value))
+                {
+                    // Update element_end after iter is incremented so it will be one past.
+                    element_end = iter;
+                }
+            }
 
-			if (element_begin == element_end)
-			{
-				System::print2(	System::Color::warning, 
-					"Warning: empty element in list\n"
-					">    '", str, "'\n"
-					">     ", std::string(static_cast<int>(element_begin - str.cbegin()), ' '), "^\n"
-				);
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				out.push_back({ element_begin, element_end });
-			}
+            Checks::check_exit(VCPKG_LINE_INFO,
+                               element_begin != element_end,
+                               "Empty element in list\n"
+                               ">    '%s'\n"
+                               ">     %s^\n",
+                               str,
+                               std::string(static_cast<int>(element_begin - str.cbegin()), ' '));
 
-			if (iter != str.cend())
-			{
-				//Not at the end, must be at a comma that needs to be stepped over
-				++iter;
+            out.push_back({element_begin, element_end});
 
-				if (iter == str.end())
-				{
-					System::print2(System::Color::warning,
-						"Warning: empty element in list\n"
-						">    '", str, "'\n"
-						">     ", std::string(str.length(), ' '), "^\n"
-					);
-				}
-			}
+            if (iter != str.cend())
+            {
+                Checks::check_exit(VCPKG_LINE_INFO, *iter == ',', "Internal parsing error - expected comma");
 
-		} while (iter != str.cend());
+                // Not at the end, must be at a comma that needs to be stepped over
+                ++iter;
+
+                Checks::check_exit(VCPKG_LINE_INFO,
+                                   iter != str.end(),
+                                   "Empty element in list\n"
+                                   ">    '%s'\n"
+                                   ">     %s^\n",
+                                   str,
+                                   std::string(str.length(), ' '));
+            }
+
+        } while (iter != str.cend());
 
         return out;
     }