diff --git a/builtins/common.c b/builtins/common.c
index a781a0fa..333fdb15 100644
--- a/builtins/common.c
+++ b/builtins/common.c
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ builtin_error_prolog (void)
   name = get_name_for_error ();
   fprintf (stderr, "%s: ", name);
 
+#ifndef INTERACTIVE_SHELL_PRINT_LINENO
   if (interactive_shell == 0)
+#endif
     fprintf (stderr, _("line %d: "), executing_line_number ());
 
   if (this_command_name && *this_command_name)
diff --git a/config-bot.h b/config-bot.h
index 07e910f1..ca0aec96 100644
--- a/config-bot.h
+++ b/config-bot.h
@@ -194,3 +194,5 @@
 
 /* If you don't want bash to provide a default mail file to check. */
 /* #undef DEFAULT_MAIL_DIRECTORY */
+
+#define INTERACTIVE_SHELL_PRINT_LINENO
diff --git a/error.c b/error.c
index 10af0709..85a3224e 100644
--- a/error.c
+++ b/error.c
@@ -77,7 +77,11 @@ error_prolog (int print_lineno)
   int line;
 
   ename = get_name_for_error ();
+#ifdef INTERACTIVE_SHELL_PRINT_LINENO
+  line = print_lineno ? executing_line_number () : -1;
+#else
   line = (print_lineno && interactive_shell == 0) ? executing_line_number () : -1;
+#endif
 
   if (line > 0)
     fprintf (stderr, "%s:%s%d: ", ename, gnu_error_format ? "" : _(" line "), line);
@@ -96,7 +100,9 @@ get_name_for_error (void)
 #endif
 
   name = (char *)NULL;
+#ifndef INTERACTIVE_SHELL_PRINT_LINENO
   if (interactive_shell == 0)
+#endif
     {
 #if defined (ARRAY_VARS)
       bash_source_v = find_variable ("BASH_SOURCE");