*** a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l
--- b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l
***************
*** 129,135 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
--- 129,141 ----
  	head = tail = NULL;
  
  	if (!ParseConfigFile(ConfigFileName, NULL, 0, elevel, &head, &tail))
+ 	{
+ 		ereport(elevel,
+ 			    (errcode(ERRCODE_CONFIG_FILE_ERROR),
+ 				errmsg("Did not reload \"%s\" due to earlier parsing error(s)", 
+ 					   ConfigFileName)));
  		goto cleanup_list;
+ 	}		
  
  	/*
  	 * We need the proposed new value of custom_variable_classes to check
***************
*** 354,360 **** ParseConfigFile(const char *config_file, const char *calling_file,
  				ConfigVariable **head_p,
  				ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		OK = true;
  	FILE	   *fp;
  	char		abs_path[MAXPGPATH];
  
--- 360,366 ----
  				ConfigVariable **head_p,
  				ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		ok = true;
  	FILE	   *fp;
  	char		abs_path[MAXPGPATH];
  
***************
*** 407,417 **** ParseConfigFile(const char *config_file, const char *calling_file,
  		return false;
  	}
  
! 	OK = ParseConfigFp(fp, config_file, depth, elevel, head_p, tail_p);
  
  	FreeFile(fp);
  
! 	return OK;
  }
  
  /*
--- 413,423 ----
  		return false;
  	}
  
! 	ok = ParseConfigFp(fp, config_file, depth, elevel, head_p, tail_p);
  
  	FreeFile(fp);
  
! 	return ok;
  }
  
  /*
***************
*** 444,452 **** bool
  ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			  ConfigVariable **head_p, ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		OK = true;
  	YY_BUFFER_STATE lex_buffer;
! 	int			token;
  
  	/*
  	 * Parse
--- 450,459 ----
  ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			  ConfigVariable **head_p, ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		ok = true;
  	YY_BUFFER_STATE lex_buffer;
! 	int			token,
! 				errorno;
  
  	/*
  	 * Parse
***************
*** 455,460 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
--- 462,468 ----
  	yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  
  	ConfigFileLineno = 1;
+ 	errorno = 0;
  
  	/* This loop iterates once per logical line */
  	while ((token = yylex()))
***************
*** 512,519 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			{
  				pfree(opt_name);
  				pfree(opt_value);
! 				OK = false;
! 				goto cleanup_exit;
  			}
  			yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  			ConfigFileLineno = save_ConfigFileLineno;
--- 520,526 ----
  			{
  				pfree(opt_name);
  				pfree(opt_value);
! 				goto parse_error;
  			}
  			yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  			ConfigFileLineno = save_ConfigFileLineno;
***************
*** 573,599 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  		/* break out of loop if read EOF, else loop for next line */
  		if (token == 0)
  			break;
  	}
  
  	/* successful completion of parsing */
- 	goto cleanup_exit;
- 
-  parse_error:
- 	if (token == GUC_EOL || token == 0)
- 		ereport(elevel,
- 				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
- 				 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near end of line",
- 						config_file, ConfigFileLineno - 1)));
- 	else
- 		ereport(elevel,
- 				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
- 				 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near token \"%s\"",
- 						config_file, ConfigFileLineno, yytext)));
- 	OK = false;
- 
- cleanup_exit:
  	yy_delete_buffer(lex_buffer);
! 	return OK;
  }
  
  
--- 580,609 ----
  		/* break out of loop if read EOF, else loop for next line */
  		if (token == 0)
  			break;
+ 
+ 		/* skip over parse_error if we made it this far without error */ 
+ 		continue;
+ 	
+  	parse_error:
+ 		if (token == GUC_EOL || token == 0)
+ 			ereport(elevel,
+ 					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+ 					 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near end of line",
+ 							config_file, ConfigFileLineno - 1)));
+ 		else
+ 			ereport(elevel,
+ 					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+ 					 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near token \"%s\"",
+ 							config_file, ConfigFileLineno, yytext)));
+ 		ok = false;
+ 		/* avoid excessive bloat of the log file */
+ 		if (IsUnderPostmaster || ++errorno >= 100)
+ 			break;
  	}
  
  	/* successful completion of parsing */
  	yy_delete_buffer(lex_buffer);
! 	return ok;
  }