diff --git a/src/compile.rs b/src/compile.rs
index 2fb69a6..5ecbcd8 100644
--- a/src/compile.rs
+++ b/src/compile.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use bumpalo::Bump;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::rc::Rc;
 
-type CResult<T> = Result<T, CompileError>;
+type CResult<T> = Result<T, CompilerError>;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
 struct Env {
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ impl Env {
             })
         }
 
-        lookup_inner(self, name)
-            .ok_or_else(|| CompileError::new(name.span, format!("variable {} not found", name.sym)))
+        lookup_inner(self, name).ok_or_else(|| {
+            CompilerError::new(name.span, format!("variable {} not found", name.sym))
+        })
     }
 
     fn new_inner(outer: Rc<RefCell<Self>>) -> Rc<RefCell<Self>> {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ struct Compiler<'bc> {
 pub fn compile<'bc>(
     ast: &Program,
     bytecode_bump: &'bc Bump,
-) -> Result<Vec<'bc, FnBlock<'bc>>, CompileError> {
+) -> Result<Vec<'bc, FnBlock<'bc>>, CompilerError> {
     let mut compiler = Compiler {
         blocks: Vec::new_in(bytecode_bump),
         current_block: 0,
@@ -285,36 +286,5 @@ enum StackChange {
     Grow = 1,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct CompileError {
-    span: Span,
-    message: String,
-    note: Option<String>,
-}
-
-impl CompileError {
-    fn new(span: Span, message: String) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            span,
-            message,
-            note: None,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl CompilerError for CompileError {
-    fn span(&self) -> Span {
-        self.span
-    }
-
-    fn message(&self) -> String {
-        self.message.clone()
-    }
-
-    fn note(&self) -> Option<String> {
-        self.note.clone()
-    }
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {}
diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index ecee830..b114a98 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -62,23 +62,41 @@ mod span {
     }
 }
 
-pub trait CompilerError {
-    fn span(&self) -> Span;
-    fn message(&self) -> String;
-    fn note(&self) -> Option<String>;
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct CompilerError {
+    pub span: Span,
+    pub message: String,
+    pub note: Option<String>,
 }
 
-pub fn display_error<E>(source: &str, error: E)
-where
-    E: CompilerError + Debug,
-{
+impl CompilerError {
+    pub fn new(span: Span, message: String) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            span,
+            message,
+            note: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_note(span: Span, message: String, note: String) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            span,
+            message,
+            note: Some(note),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn display_error(source: &str, error: CompilerError) {
+    let span = error.span;
+
     let mut chars = 0;
     let lines = source.split_inclusive('\n').enumerate();
     for (idx, line) in lines {
-        if chars + line.len() > error.span().start {
-            let offset_on_line = error.span().start - chars;
+        if chars + line.len() > span.start {
+            let offset_on_line = span.start - chars;
 
-            println!("{}error: {}{}", RED, error.message(), RESET);
+            println!("{}error: {}{}", RED, error.message, RESET);
             println!("      {}|{}", CYAN, RESET);
             println!("{}{:>5} |{} {}", CYAN, idx + 1, RESET, line);
             print!("      {}|{} ", CYAN, RESET);
@@ -86,10 +104,10 @@ where
                 "{}{}{}{}",
                 " ".repeat(offset_on_line),
                 RED,
-                "^".repeat(error.span().len()),
+                "^".repeat(span.len()),
                 RESET,
             );
-            if let Some(note) = error.note() {
+            if let Some(note) = error.note {
                 println!("      {}|{}", CYAN, RESET);
                 println!(
                     "      {}|{}   {}note: {}{}",
diff --git a/src/lex.rs b/src/lex.rs
index aceba87..78af59b 100644
--- a/src/lex.rs
+++ b/src/lex.rs
@@ -367,34 +367,37 @@ impl LexError {
     }
 }
 
-impl CompilerError for LexError {
-    fn span(&self) -> Span {
-        self.span
-    }
-
-    fn message(&self) -> String {
-        match &self.kind {
-            LexErrorKind::InvalidCharacter(char) => format!("Unexpected character: '{}'", char),
-            LexErrorKind::InvalidFloat(_) => "Invalid number".to_string(),
-            LexErrorKind::FloatInfiniteLiteral => "Number literal too long".to_string(),
-            LexErrorKind::UnclosedStringLiteral => "String literal not closed".to_string(),
-            LexErrorKind::SingleBang => "Expected '=' after '!'".to_string(),
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn note(&self) -> Option<String> {
-        match &self.kind {
-            LexErrorKind::InvalidCharacter(_) => {
-                Some("Character is not allowed outside of string literals and comments".to_string())
-            }
-            LexErrorKind::InvalidFloat(err) => Some(err.to_string()),
-            LexErrorKind::FloatInfiniteLiteral => Some(
-                "A number literal cannot be larger than a 64 bit float can represent".to_string(),
-            ),
-            LexErrorKind::UnclosedStringLiteral => Some("Close the literal using '\"'".to_string()),
-            LexErrorKind::SingleBang => {
-                Some("If you meant to use it for negation, use `not`".to_string())
-            }
+impl From<LexError> for CompilerError {
+    fn from(error: LexError) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            span: { error.span },
+            message: {
+                match &error.kind {
+                    LexErrorKind::InvalidCharacter(char) => {
+                        format!("Unexpected character: '{}'", char)
+                    }
+                    LexErrorKind::InvalidFloat(_) => "Invalid number".to_string(),
+                    LexErrorKind::FloatInfiniteLiteral => "Number literal too long".to_string(),
+                    LexErrorKind::UnclosedStringLiteral => "String literal not closed".to_string(),
+                    LexErrorKind::SingleBang => "Expected '=' after '!'".to_string(),
+                }
+            },
+            note: match &error.kind {
+                LexErrorKind::InvalidCharacter(_) => Some(
+                    "Character is not allowed outside of string literals and comments".to_string(),
+                ),
+                LexErrorKind::InvalidFloat(err) => Some(err.to_string()),
+                LexErrorKind::FloatInfiniteLiteral => Some(
+                    "A number literal cannot be larger than a 64 bit float can represent"
+                        .to_string(),
+                ),
+                LexErrorKind::UnclosedStringLiteral => {
+                    Some("Close the literal using '\"'".to_string())
+                }
+                LexErrorKind::SingleBang => {
+                    Some("If you meant to use it for negation, use `not`".to_string())
+                }
+            },
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/parse.rs b/src/parse.rs
index 5b3f4e0..e8aeeb8 100644
--- a/src/parse.rs
+++ b/src/parse.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ where
 pub fn parse<'ast, 'code>(
     tokens: impl Iterator<Item = Result<Token<'code>, LexError>> + 'code,
     ast_bump: &'ast Bump,
-) -> Result<Program<'ast>, ParseErr<'code>> {
+) -> Result<Program<'ast>, CompilerError> {
     let mut parser = Parser {
         tokens: tokens.peekable(),
         depth: 0,
@@ -690,55 +690,51 @@ pub enum ParseErr<'code> {
     LexError(LexError),
 }
 
-// todo: unify error handling
 impl From<LexError> for ParseErr<'_> {
     fn from(err: LexError) -> Self {
         Self::LexError(err)
     }
 }
 
-impl CompilerError for ParseErr<'_> {
-    fn span(&self) -> Span {
-        match self {
-            ParseErr::MismatchedKind {
-                actual: Token { span, .. },
-                ..
-            } => *span,
-            ParseErr::InvalidTokenPrimary(Token { span, .. }) => *span,
-            ParseErr::EofExpecting(_) => Span::dummy(),
-            ParseErr::Eof(_) => Span::dummy(),
-            ParseErr::BreakOutsideLoop(span) => *span,
-            ParseErr::ReturnOutsideFunction(span) => *span,
-            ParseErr::MaxDepth(span) => *span,
-            ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.span,
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn message(&self) -> String {
-        match self {
-            ParseErr::MismatchedKind { expected, actual } => {
-                format!("expected `{:?}`, received `{:?}`", expected, actual.kind)
-            }
-            ParseErr::InvalidTokenPrimary(token) => {
-                format!("invalid token in expression: `{:?}`", token.kind)
-            }
-            ParseErr::EofExpecting(token) => {
-                format!("reached EOF searching for `{:?}`", token)
-            }
-            ParseErr::Eof(message) => {
-                format!("reached EOF while parsing `{}`", message)
-            }
-            ParseErr::BreakOutsideLoop(_) => "break used outside of loop".to_string(),
-            ParseErr::ReturnOutsideFunction(_) => "return used outside of function".to_string(),
-            ParseErr::MaxDepth(_) => "reached maximal nesting depth".to_string(),
-            ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.message(),
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn note(&self) -> Option<String> {
-        match self {
-            ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.note(),
-            _ => None,
+// todo: remove this and ParseErr
+impl From<ParseErr<'_>> for CompilerError {
+    fn from(error: ParseErr<'_>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            span: match &error {
+                ParseErr::MismatchedKind {
+                    actual: Token { span, .. },
+                    ..
+                } => *span,
+                ParseErr::InvalidTokenPrimary(Token { span, .. }) => *span,
+                ParseErr::EofExpecting(_) => Span::dummy(),
+                ParseErr::Eof(_) => Span::dummy(),
+                ParseErr::BreakOutsideLoop(span) => *span,
+                ParseErr::ReturnOutsideFunction(span) => *span,
+                ParseErr::MaxDepth(span) => *span,
+                ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.span,
+            },
+            message: match &error {
+                ParseErr::MismatchedKind { expected, actual } => {
+                    format!("expected `{:?}`, received `{:?}`", expected, actual.kind)
+                }
+                ParseErr::InvalidTokenPrimary(token) => {
+                    format!("invalid token in expression: `{:?}`", token.kind)
+                }
+                ParseErr::EofExpecting(token) => {
+                    format!("reached EOF searching for `{:?}`", token)
+                }
+                ParseErr::Eof(message) => {
+                    format!("reached EOF while parsing `{}`", message)
+                }
+                ParseErr::BreakOutsideLoop(_) => "break used outside of loop".to_string(),
+                ParseErr::ReturnOutsideFunction(_) => "return used outside of function".to_string(),
+                ParseErr::MaxDepth(_) => "reached maximal nesting depth".to_string(),
+                ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.message(),
+            },
+            note: match error {
+                ParseErr::LexError(err) => err.note(),
+                _ => None,
+            },
         }
     }
 }