diff --git a/src/builtin_set.cpp b/src/builtin_set.cpp
index 303f089d8..996a5b9d7 100644
--- a/src/builtin_set.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_set.cpp
@@ -571,9 +571,14 @@ static void show_scope(const wchar_t *var_name, int scope, io_streams_t &streams
     wcstring_list_t vals = var->as_list();
     streams.out.append_format(_(L"$%ls: set in %ls scope, %ls, with %d elements\n"), var_name,
                               scope_name, exportv, vals.size());
+
     for (size_t i = 0; i < vals.size(); i++) {
         if (vals.size() > 100) {
-            if (i == 50) streams.out.append(L"...\n");
+            if (i == 50) {
+                // try to print a mid-line ellipsis because we are eliding lines not words
+                streams.out.append(get_ellipsis_char() > 256 ? L"\u22EF" : get_ellipsis_str());
+                streams.out.push_back(L'\n');
+            }
             if (i >= 50 && i < vals.size() - 50) continue;
         }
         const wcstring value = vals[i];
diff --git a/src/parse_util.cpp b/src/parse_util.cpp
index 08d415ebd..e2d730717 100644
--- a/src/parse_util.cpp
+++ b/src/parse_util.cpp
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ void parse_util_expand_variable_error(const wcstring &token, size_t global_token
 
             // Make sure we always show something.
             if (token_after_parens.empty()) {
-                token_after_parens = L"...";
+                token_after_parens = get_ellipsis_str();
             }
 
             append_syntax_error(errors, global_dollar_pos, ERROR_BAD_VAR_SUBCOMMAND1,
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ static parser_test_error_bits_t detect_dollar_cmdsub_errors(size_t arg_src_offse
             wcstring subcommand_first_token = tok_first(cmdsubst_src);
             if (subcommand_first_token.empty()) {
                 // e.g. $(). Report somthing.
-                subcommand_first_token = L"...";
+                subcommand_first_token = get_ellipsis_str();
             }
             append_syntax_error(
                 out_errors,