diff --git a/modules/core_private/ut-stubs/src/ut_osprintf_stubs.c b/modules/core_private/ut-stubs/src/ut_osprintf_stubs.c
index dcf28a370..5558f57a3 100644
--- a/modules/core_private/ut-stubs/src/ut_osprintf_stubs.c
+++ b/modules/core_private/ut-stubs/src/ut_osprintf_stubs.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ const char *UT_OSP_MESSAGES[] = {
     /* Warning: System Log full, log entry discarded. */
     [UT_OSP_SYSTEM_LOG_FULL] = "Warning: System Log full, log entry discarded.\n",
     /* ES Startup: ES Startup File Line is too long: 137 bytes. */
-    [UT_OSP_FILE_LINE_TOO_LONG] = "ES Startup: ES Startup File Line is too long: %u bytes.\n",
+    [UT_OSP_FILE_LINE_TOO_LONG] = "ES Startup: **WARNING** File Line %u is malformed: %u bytes, %u tokens.\n",
     /* ES Startup: Load Shared Library Init Error. */
     [UT_OSP_SHARED_LIBRARY_INIT] = "ES Startup: Load Shared Library Init Error = 0x%08x\n",
     /* ES Startup: Error Removing Volatile(RAM) Volume. EC = 0x~ */
diff --git a/modules/es/fsw/src/cfe_es_apps.c b/modules/es/fsw/src/cfe_es_apps.c
index aed7353c8..d6b07f33d 100644
--- a/modules/es/fsw/src/cfe_es_apps.c
+++ b/modules/es/fsw/src/cfe_es_apps.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ void CFE_ES_StartApplications(uint32 ResetType, const char *StartFilePath)
     char        ScriptFileName[OS_MAX_PATH_LEN];
     const char *TokenList[CFE_ES_STARTSCRIPT_MAX_TOKENS_PER_LINE];
     uint32      NumTokens;
+    uint32      NumLines;
     uint32      BuffLen; /* Length of the current buffer */
     osal_id_t   AppFile = OS_OBJECT_ID_UNDEFINED;
     int32       Status;
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ void CFE_ES_StartApplications(uint32 ResetType, const char *StartFilePath)
         memset(ES_AppLoadBuffer, 0x0, ES_START_BUFF_SIZE);
         BuffLen      = 0;
         NumTokens    = 0;
+        NumLines     = 0;
         TokenList[0] = ES_AppLoadBuffer;
 
         /*
@@ -197,14 +199,18 @@ void CFE_ES_StartApplications(uint32 ResetType, const char *StartFilePath)
                     }
                     BuffLen++;
 
-                    if (NumTokens < (CFE_ES_STARTSCRIPT_MAX_TOKENS_PER_LINE - 1))
+                    ++NumTokens;
+                    if (NumTokens < CFE_ES_STARTSCRIPT_MAX_TOKENS_PER_LINE)
                     {
                         /*
                          * NOTE: pointer never deferenced unless "LineTooLong" is false.
                          */
-                        ++NumTokens;
                         TokenList[NumTokens] = &ES_AppLoadBuffer[BuffLen];
                     }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        LineTooLong = true;
+                    }
                 }
                 else if (c != ';')
                 {
@@ -223,13 +229,15 @@ void CFE_ES_StartApplications(uint32 ResetType, const char *StartFilePath)
                 }
                 else
                 {
+                    ++NumLines;
+
                     if (LineTooLong == true)
                     {
                         /*
-                        ** The was too big for the buffer
+                        ** The line was not formed correctly
                         */
-                        CFE_ES_WriteToSysLog("ES Startup: ES Startup File Line is too long: %u bytes.\n",
-                                             (unsigned int)BuffLen);
+                        CFE_ES_WriteToSysLog("ES Startup: **WARNING** File Line %u is malformed: %u bytes, %u tokens.\n",
+                                             (unsigned int)NumLines, (unsigned int)BuffLen, (unsigned int)NumTokens);
                         LineTooLong = false;
                     }
                     else