diff --git a/tools/utils/shlex/shlex.go b/tools/utils/shlex/shlex.go
index 060497065..409996e5f 100644
--- a/tools/utils/shlex/shlex.go
+++ b/tools/utils/shlex/shlex.go
@@ -56,21 +56,9 @@ type lexerState int
 
 // Token is a (type, value) pair representing a lexographical token.
 type Token struct {
-	tokenType TokenType
-	value     string
-}
-
-// Equal reports whether tokens a, and b, are equal.
-// Two tokens are equal if both their types and values are equal. A nil token can
-// never be equal to another token.
-func (a *Token) Equal(b *Token) bool {
-	if a == nil || b == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if a.tokenType != b.tokenType {
-		return false
-	}
-	return a.value == b.value
+	Type  TokenType
+	Value string
+	Pos   int64
 }
 
 // Named classes of UTF-8 runes
@@ -161,13 +149,13 @@ func (l *Lexer) Next() (string, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		switch token.tokenType {
+		switch token.Type {
 		case WordToken:
-			return token.value, nil
+			return token.Value, nil
 		case SpaceToken:
 			// skip spaces
 		default:
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("Unknown token type: %v", token.tokenType)
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("Unknown token type: %s", token.Type)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -207,6 +195,7 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 	var err error
 	var sz int
 	value := strings.Builder{}
+	pos_at_start := t.pos
 
 	unread_rune := func() {
 		t.redo_rune.sz = sz
@@ -215,6 +204,10 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 		t.pos -= int64(sz)
 	}
 
+	token := func() *Token {
+		return &Token{tokenType, value.String(), pos_at_start}
+	}
+
 	for {
 		if t.redo_rune.sz > 0 {
 			nextRune, sz = t.redo_rune.char, t.redo_rune.sz
@@ -279,11 +272,8 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 					}
 				default:
 					{
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
 						unread_rune()
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -292,18 +282,12 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 				switch nextRuneType {
 				case eofRuneClass:
 					{
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				case spaceRuneClass:
 					{
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
 						unread_rune()
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				case escapingQuoteRuneClass:
 					{
@@ -329,10 +313,7 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 				case eofRuneClass:
 					{
 						err = ErrTrailingEscape
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				default:
 					{
@@ -347,10 +328,7 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 				case eofRuneClass:
 					{
 						err = ErrTrailingQuoteEscape
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				default:
 					{
@@ -365,10 +343,7 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 				case eofRuneClass:
 					{
 						err = ErrUnclosedDoubleQuote
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				case escapingQuoteRuneClass:
 					{
@@ -390,10 +365,7 @@ func (t *Tokenizer) scanStream() (*Token, error) {
 				case eofRuneClass:
 					{
 						err = ErrUnclosedSingleQuote
-						token := &Token{
-							tokenType: tokenType,
-							value:     value.String()}
-						return token, err
+						return token(), err
 					}
 				case nonEscapingQuoteRuneClass:
 					{
diff --git a/tools/utils/shlex/shlex_test.go b/tools/utils/shlex/shlex_test.go
index 1df0e6b32..611a0e23d 100644
--- a/tools/utils/shlex/shlex_test.go
+++ b/tools/utils/shlex/shlex_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package shlex
 import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -44,31 +46,32 @@ func TestClassifier(t *testing.T) {
 func TestTokenizer(t *testing.T) {
 	testInput := testString
 	expectedTokens := []*Token{
-		{WordToken, "one"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "two"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "three four"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "five \"six\""},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "seven#eight"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "#"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "nine"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "#"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "ten"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "eleven"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "twelve\\"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "thirteen=13"},
-		{SpaceToken, " "},
-		{WordToken, "fourteen/14"}}
+		{WordToken, "one", 0},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 3},
+		{WordToken, "two", 4},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 7},
+		{WordToken, "three four", 8},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 20},
+		{WordToken, "five \"six\"", 21},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 35},
+		{WordToken, "seven#eight", 36},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 47},
+		{WordToken, "#", 48},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 49},
+		{WordToken, "nine", 50},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 54},
+		{WordToken, "#", 55},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 56},
+		{WordToken, "ten", 57},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 60},
+		{WordToken, "eleven", 61},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 67},
+		{WordToken, "twelve\\", 68},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 77},
+		{WordToken, "thirteen=13", 78},
+		{SpaceToken, " ", 89},
+		{WordToken, "fourteen/14", 90},
+	}
 
 	tokenizer := NewTokenizer(strings.NewReader(testInput))
 	for i, want := range expectedTokens {
@@ -76,8 +79,8 @@ func TestTokenizer(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
-		if !got.Equal(want) {
-			t.Errorf("Tokenizer.Next()[%v] of %q -> %#v. Want: %#v", i, testString, got, want)
+		if diff := cmp.Diff(want, got); diff != "" {
+			t.Fatalf("Tokenizer.Next()[%v] of: %s:\n%s", i, testString, diff)
 		}
 	}
 }