diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
index bac4378d1b..b368113689 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::util::eval_source;
+use crate::util::{eval_source, evaluate_block_with_exit_code, make_main_call};
 use log::{info, trace};
 use nu_engine::{convert_env_values, eval_block};
 use nu_parser::parse;
@@ -126,11 +126,19 @@ pub fn evaluate_file(
 
         // Invoke the main command with arguments.
         // Arguments with whitespaces are quoted, thus can be safely concatenated by whitespace.
-        let args = format!("main {}", args.join(" "));
-        eval_source(
+        let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
+        let main_call_block = make_main_call(
+            &mut working_set,
+            source_filename.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+            args,
+            true,
+        )?;
+        engine_state.merge_delta(working_set.delta)?;
+
+        evaluate_block_with_exit_code(
             engine_state,
             stack,
-            args.as_bytes(),
+            main_call_block,
             "<commandline>",
             input,
             true,
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
index e912bceb5f..d3f924eb75 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 use nu_cmd_base::hook::eval_hook;
 use nu_engine::{eval_block, eval_block_with_early_return};
-use nu_parser::{escape_quote_string, lex, parse, unescape_unquote_string, Token, TokenContents};
+use nu_parser::{
+    escape_quote_string, find_longest_command, lex, lite_parse, parse, parse_internal_call,
+    unescape_unquote_string, Token, TokenContents,
+};
+use nu_protocol::ast::{Block, Expr, Expression, Pipeline};
 use nu_protocol::{
     debugger::WithoutDebug,
     engine::{EngineState, Stack, StateWorkingSet},
-    report_error, report_error_new, PipelineData, ShellError, Span, Value,
+    report_error, report_error_new, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span, Value,
 };
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use nu_utils::enable_vt_processing;
 use nu_utils::perf;
 use std::path::Path;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 
 // This will collect environment variables from std::env and adds them to a stack.
 //
@@ -199,17 +204,123 @@ fn gather_env_vars(
     }
 }
 
-pub fn eval_source(
+pub fn make_main_call(
+    working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet,
+    fname: String,
+    args: &[String],
+    redirect_env: bool,
+) -> Result<Arc<Block>, ShellError> {
+    let source = format!("{} {}", fname, args.join(" "));
+    let source = source.as_bytes();
+    let file_id = working_set.add_file("<commandline>".to_string(), source);
+    let file_span = working_set.get_span_for_file(file_id);
+    let (tokens, err) = lex(source, file_span.start, &[], &[], false);
+    if let Some(err) = err {
+        working_set.error(err)
+    }
+    let (lite_block, err) = lite_parse(tokens.as_slice());
+    if let Some(err) = err {
+        working_set.error(err);
+    }
+    let lite_command = &lite_block.block[0].commands[0];
+
+    let (decl_id, command_len) =
+        find_longest_command(working_set, b"main", &lite_command.parts[1..])
+            .expect("make_main_call() called, but 'main' definition not found in state");
+
+    let parsed_call = parse_internal_call(
+        working_set,
+        Span::concat(&lite_command.parts[..command_len + 1]),
+        &lite_command.parts[(command_len + 1)..],
+        decl_id,
+    );
+
+    let expression = Expression::new(
+        working_set,
+        Expr::Call(parsed_call.call),
+        Span::concat(lite_command.parts.as_slice()),
+        parsed_call.output,
+    );
+
+    if let Some(warning) = working_set.parse_warnings.first() {
+        report_error(working_set, warning);
+    }
+
+    // If any parse errors were found, report the first error and exit.
+    if let Some(err) = working_set.parse_errors.first() {
+        report_error(working_set, err);
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
+    if let Some(err) = working_set.compile_errors.first() {
+        report_error(working_set, err);
+        // Not a fatal error, for now
+    }
+
+    let mut block = Block {
+        signature: Box::new(Signature::new("")),
+        pipelines: vec![Pipeline::from_vec(vec![expression])],
+        captures: vec![],
+        redirect_env,
+        ir_block: None,
+        span: Some(file_span),
+    };
+
+    match nu_engine::compile(working_set, &block) {
+        Ok(ir_block) => {
+            block.ir_block = Some(ir_block);
+        }
+        Err(err) => working_set.compile_errors.push(err),
+    }
+
+    Ok(Arc::new(block))
+}
+
+pub fn evaluate_block(
     engine_state: &mut EngineState,
     stack: &mut Stack,
-    source: &[u8],
+    block: Arc<Block>,
+    input: PipelineData,
+    allow_return: bool,
+) -> Result<Option<i32>, ShellError> {
+    let pipeline = if allow_return {
+        eval_block_with_early_return::<WithoutDebug>(engine_state, stack, &block, input)
+    } else {
+        eval_block::<WithoutDebug>(engine_state, stack, &block, input)
+    }?;
+
+    let status = if let PipelineData::ByteStream(..) = pipeline {
+        pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, false, false)?
+    } else {
+        if let Some(hook) = engine_state.get_config().hooks.display_output.clone() {
+            let pipeline = eval_hook(
+                engine_state,
+                stack,
+                Some(pipeline),
+                vec![],
+                &hook,
+                "display_output",
+            )?;
+            pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, false, false)
+        } else {
+            pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, true, false)
+        }?
+    };
+
+    Ok(status.map(|status| status.code()))
+}
+
+pub fn evaluate_block_with_exit_code(
+    engine_state: &mut EngineState,
+    stack: &mut Stack,
+    block: Arc<Block>,
     fname: &str,
     input: PipelineData,
     allow_return: bool,
 ) -> i32 {
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
 
-    let exit_code = match evaluate_source(engine_state, stack, source, fname, input, allow_return) {
+    let exit_code = match evaluate_block(engine_state, stack, block, input, allow_return) {
         Ok(code) => code.unwrap_or(0),
         Err(err) => {
             report_error_new(engine_state, &err);
@@ -237,14 +348,16 @@ pub fn eval_source(
     exit_code
 }
 
-fn evaluate_source(
+pub fn eval_source(
     engine_state: &mut EngineState,
     stack: &mut Stack,
     source: &[u8],
     fname: &str,
     input: PipelineData,
     allow_return: bool,
-) -> Result<Option<i32>, ShellError> {
+) -> i32 {
+    let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
+
     let (block, delta) = {
         let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
         let output = parse(
@@ -259,7 +372,7 @@ fn evaluate_source(
 
         if let Some(err) = working_set.parse_errors.first() {
             report_error(&working_set, err);
-            return Ok(Some(1));
+            return 1;
         }
 
         if let Some(err) = working_set.compile_errors.first() {
@@ -270,33 +383,19 @@ fn evaluate_source(
         (output, working_set.render())
     };
 
-    engine_state.merge_delta(delta)?;
+    if let Err(err) = engine_state.merge_delta(delta) {
+        report_error_new(engine_state, &err);
+        return 1;
+    }
 
-    let pipeline = if allow_return {
-        eval_block_with_early_return::<WithoutDebug>(engine_state, stack, &block, input)
-    } else {
-        eval_block::<WithoutDebug>(engine_state, stack, &block, input)
-    }?;
-
-    let status = if let PipelineData::ByteStream(..) = pipeline {
-        pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, false, false)?
-    } else {
-        if let Some(hook) = engine_state.get_config().hooks.display_output.clone() {
-            let pipeline = eval_hook(
-                engine_state,
-                stack,
-                Some(pipeline),
-                vec![],
-                &hook,
-                "display_output",
-            )?;
-            pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, false, false)
-        } else {
-            pipeline.print(engine_state, stack, true, false)
-        }?
-    };
-
-    Ok(status.map(|status| status.code()))
+    let exit_code =
+        evaluate_block_with_exit_code(engine_state, stack, block, fname, input, allow_return);
+    perf!(
+        &format!("eval_source {}", &fname),
+        start_time,
+        engine_state.get_config().use_ansi_coloring
+    );
+    exit_code
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/lib.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/lib.rs
index 8f871aa815..79974d4cc1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/lib.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ pub use nu_protocol::parser_path::*;
 pub use parse_keywords::*;
 
 pub use parser::{
-    is_math_expression_like, parse, parse_block, parse_expression, parse_external_call,
-    parse_unit_value, trim_quotes, trim_quotes_str, unescape_unquote_string, DURATION_UNIT_GROUPS,
+    find_longest_command, is_math_expression_like, parse, parse_block, parse_expression,
+    parse_external_call, parse_internal_call, parse_unit_value, trim_quotes, trim_quotes_str,
+    unescape_unquote_string, DURATION_UNIT_GROUPS,
 };
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index 8332d2f383..98b764578f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use itertools::Itertools;
 use log::trace;
 use nu_engine::DIR_VAR_PARSER_INFO;
 use nu_protocol::{
-    ast::*, engine::StateWorkingSet, eval_const::eval_constant, BlockId, DidYouMean, Flag,
+    ast::*, engine::StateWorkingSet, eval_const::eval_constant, BlockId, DeclId, DidYouMean, Flag,
     ParseError, PositionalArg, Signature, Span, Spanned, SyntaxShape, Type, VarId, ENV_VARIABLE_ID,
     IN_VARIABLE_ID,
 };
@@ -690,8 +690,8 @@ fn parse_short_flags(
                     })
                 )
                 && String::from_utf8_lossy(working_set.get_span_contents(arg_span))
-                    .parse::<f64>()
-                    .is_ok()
+                .parse::<f64>()
+                .is_ok()
             {
                 return None;
             } else if let Some(first) = unmatched_short_flags.first() {
@@ -1250,6 +1250,46 @@ pub fn parse_internal_call(
     }
 }
 
+/// finds the longest command matching a command name and a list of arguments
+/// if a command is found, it returns its decl id and the number of arguments that were consumed as
+/// part of the command name
+pub fn find_longest_command(
+    working_set: &StateWorkingSet,
+    name: &[u8],
+    args: &[Span],
+) -> Option<(DeclId, usize)> {
+    let mut pos = 0;
+    let mut name_spans = vec![];
+    let mut name = name.to_owned();
+
+    // combine all the args together, separated by spaces
+    for arg in args {
+        name_spans.push(*arg);
+        let name_part = working_set.get_span_contents(*arg);
+        name.push(b' ');
+        name.extend(name_part);
+        pos += 1;
+    }
+
+    let mut maybe_decl_id = working_set.find_decl(&name);
+
+    while maybe_decl_id.is_none() && !name_spans.is_empty() {
+        // Find the longest command match
+
+        // name_spans length is checked in the loop condition so we can unwrap
+        let popped_span = name_spans
+            .pop()
+            .expect("internal error: already checked for non-empty");
+        pos -= 1;
+
+        let popped_len = popped_span.end - popped_span.start;
+        name.truncate(name.len() - popped_len - 1); // remove the length of the removed span and the whitespace
+        maybe_decl_id = working_set.find_decl(&name);
+    }
+
+    maybe_decl_id.map(|id| (id, pos))
+}
+
 pub fn parse_call(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, spans: &[Span], head: Span) -> Expression {
     trace!("parsing: call");
 
@@ -1261,57 +1301,15 @@ pub fn parse_call(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, spans: &[Span], head: Span)
         return garbage(working_set, head);
     }
 
-    let mut pos = 0;
-    let cmd_start = pos;
-    let mut name_spans = vec![];
-    let mut name = vec![];
+    let cmd_name = working_set.get_span_contents(spans[0]);
 
-    for word_span in spans[cmd_start..].iter() {
-        // Find the longest group of words that could form a command
-
-        name_spans.push(*word_span);
-
-        let name_part = working_set.get_span_contents(*word_span);
-        if name.is_empty() {
-            name.extend(name_part);
-        } else {
-            name.push(b' ');
-            name.extend(name_part);
-        }
-
-        pos += 1;
-    }
-
-    let mut maybe_decl_id = working_set.find_decl(&name);
-
-    while maybe_decl_id.is_none() {
-        // Find the longest command match
-        if name_spans.len() <= 1 {
-            // Keep the first word even if it does not match -- could be external command
-            break;
-        }
-
-        name_spans.pop();
-        pos -= 1;
-
-        let mut name = vec![];
-        for name_span in &name_spans {
-            let name_part = working_set.get_span_contents(*name_span);
-            if name.is_empty() {
-                name.extend(name_part);
-            } else {
-                name.push(b' ');
-                name.extend(name_part);
-            }
-        }
-        maybe_decl_id = working_set.find_decl(&name);
-    }
-
-    if let Some(decl_id) = maybe_decl_id {
+    if let Some((decl_id, len)) = find_longest_command(working_set, cmd_name, &spans[1..]) {
+        let cmd_spans = &spans[..len + 1];
+        let arg_spans = &spans[len + 1..];
         // Before the internal parsing we check if there is no let or alias declarations
         // that are missing their name, e.g.: let = 1 or alias = 2
-        if spans.len() > 1 {
-            let test_equal = working_set.get_span_contents(spans[1]);
+        if !arg_spans.is_empty() {
+            let test_equal = working_set.get_span_contents(arg_spans[0]);
 
             if test_equal == [b'='] {
                 trace!("incomplete statement");
@@ -1358,21 +1356,11 @@ pub fn parse_call(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, spans: &[Span], head: Span)
                 return expression;
             } else {
                 trace!("parsing: alias of internal call");
-                parse_internal_call(
-                    working_set,
-                    Span::concat(&spans[cmd_start..pos]),
-                    &spans[pos..],
-                    decl_id,
-                )
+                parse_internal_call(working_set, Span::concat(cmd_spans), arg_spans, decl_id)
             }
         } else {
             trace!("parsing: internal call");
-            parse_internal_call(
-                working_set,
-                Span::concat(&spans[cmd_start..pos]),
-                &spans[pos..],
-                decl_id,
-            )
+            parse_internal_call(working_set, Span::concat(cmd_spans), arg_spans, decl_id)
         };
 
         Expression::new(
@@ -2795,9 +2783,9 @@ pub fn unescape_string(bytes: &[u8], span: Span) -> (Vec<u8>, Option<ParseError>
                     }
                     // fall through -- escape not accepted above, must be error.
                     error = error.or(Some(ParseError::InvalidLiteral(
-                            "invalid unicode escape '\\u{X...}', must be 1-6 hex digits, max value 10FFFF".into(),
-                            "string".into(),
-                            Span::new(span.start + idx, span.end),
+                        "invalid unicode escape '\\u{X...}', must be 1-6 hex digits, max value 10FFFF".into(),
+                        "string".into(),
+                        Span::new(span.start + idx, span.end),
                     )));
                     break 'us_loop;
                 }
@@ -3808,8 +3796,8 @@ pub fn parse_signature_helper(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, span: Span) ->
                                                         ParseError::AssignmentMismatch(
                                                             "Default value wrong type".into(),
                                                             format!(
-                                                            "expected default value to be `{var_type}`"
-                                                        ),
+                                                                "expected default value to be `{var_type}`"
+                                                            ),
                                                             expression.span,
                                                         ),
                                                     )
@@ -3884,8 +3872,8 @@ pub fn parse_signature_helper(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, span: Span) ->
                                                             "Default value is the wrong type"
                                                                 .into(),
                                                             format!(
-                                                            "expected default value to be `{t}`"
-                                                                ),
+                                                                "expected default value to be `{t}`"
+                                                            ),
                                                             expression_span,
                                                         ),
                                                     )
@@ -4433,7 +4421,7 @@ pub fn parse_match_block_expression(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, span: Spa
                 guard: None,
                 span: Span::new(start, end),
             }
-        // A match guard
+            // A match guard
         } else if connector == b"if" {
             let if_end = {
                 let end = output[position].span.end;
diff --git a/tests/shell/mod.rs b/tests/shell/mod.rs
index 62f79a59c1..eeba650ca3 100644
--- a/tests/shell/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/shell/mod.rs
@@ -324,6 +324,43 @@ fn main_script_can_have_subcommands2() {
     })
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn main_script_use_filename_in_error() {
+    Playground::setup("main_filename", |dirs, sandbox| {
+        sandbox.mkdir("main_filename");
+        sandbox.with_files(&[FileWithContent(
+            "script.nu",
+            r#"def main [--foo: string] {
+                print foo
+            }"#,
+        )]);
+
+        let actual = nu!(cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline("nu script.nu --foo"));
+
+        assert!(actual.err.contains("script.nu --foo"));
+        assert!(!actual.err.contains("main --foo"));
+    })
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn main_script_subcommand_use_filename_in_error() {
+    Playground::setup("main_filename", |dirs, sandbox| {
+        sandbox.mkdir("main_filename");
+        sandbox.with_files(&[FileWithContent(
+            "script.nu",
+            r#"def main [] {}
+            def 'main asdf' [--foo: string] {
+                print foo
+            }"#,
+        )]);
+
+        let actual = nu!(cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline("nu script.nu asdf --foo"));
+
+        assert!(actual.err.contains("script.nu asdf --foo"));
+        assert!(!actual.err.contains("main asdf --foo"));
+    })
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn source_empty_file() {
     Playground::setup("source_empty_file", |dirs, sandbox| {