diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/LoadStatement.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/LoadStatement.java
index 8b9547a..b5e6650 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/LoadStatement.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/LoadStatement.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
   private final ImmutableMap<Identifier, String> symbols;
   private final ImmutableList<Identifier> cachedSymbols; // to save time
   private final PathFragment importPath;
-  private final String pathString;
+  private final StringLiteral pathString;
 
   /**
    * Constructs an import statement.
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@
    * If aliasing is used, the value differs from it's key's symbol#getName().
    * Otherwise, both values are identical.
    */
-  LoadStatement(String path, Map<Identifier, String> symbols) {
+  LoadStatement(StringLiteral path, Map<Identifier, String> symbols) {
     this.symbols = ImmutableMap.copyOf(symbols);
     this.cachedSymbols = ImmutableList.copyOf(symbols.keySet());
-    this.importPath = new PathFragment(path + ".bzl");
+    this.importPath = new PathFragment(path.getValue() + ".bzl");
     this.pathString = path;
   }
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
   @Override
   void validate(ValidationEnvironment env) throws EvalException {
     validatePath();
-    
+
     if (!importPath.isAbsolute() && importPath.segmentCount() > 1) {
       throw new EvalException(getLocation(), String.format(PATH_ERROR_MSG, importPath));
     }
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@
     }
   }
 
+  public StringLiteral getPath() {
+    return pathString;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Throws an exception if the path argument to load() starts with more than one forward
    * slash ('/')
@@ -103,9 +107,9 @@
   public void validatePath() throws EvalException {
     String error = null;
 
-    if (pathString.isEmpty()) {
+    if (pathString.getValue().isEmpty()) {
       error = "Path argument to load() must not be empty";
-    } else if (pathString.startsWith("//")) {
+    } else if (pathString.getValue().startsWith("//")) {
       error =
           "First argument of load() is a path, not a label. "
           + "It should start with a single slash if it is an absolute path.";
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/Parser.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/Parser.java
index 9efd28e..7d2311c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/Parser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/syntax/Parser.java
@@ -670,6 +670,24 @@
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Parse a String literal value, e.g. "str".
+   */
+  private StringLiteral parseStringLiteral() {
+    Preconditions.checkState(token.kind == TokenKind.STRING);
+    int end = token.right;
+    char quoteChar = lexer.charAt(token.left);
+    StringLiteral literal =
+        setLocation(new StringLiteral((String) token.value, quoteChar), token.left, end);
+
+    nextToken();
+    if (token.kind == TokenKind.STRING) {
+      reportError(lexer.createLocation(end, token.left),
+          "Implicit string concatenation is forbidden, use the + operator");
+    }
+    return literal;
+  }
+
   //  primary ::= INTEGER
   //            | STRING
   //            | STRING '.' IDENTIFIER funcall_suffix
@@ -691,17 +709,7 @@
         return literal;
       }
       case STRING: {
-        String value = (String) token.value;
-        int end = token.right;
-        char quoteChar = lexer.charAt(start);
-        nextToken();
-        if (token.kind == TokenKind.STRING) {
-          reportError(lexer.createLocation(end, token.left),
-              "Implicit string concatenation is forbidden, use the + operator");
-        }
-        StringLiteral literal = new StringLiteral(value, quoteChar);
-        setLocation(literal, start, end);
-        return literal;
+        return parseStringLiteral();
       }
       case IDENTIFIER: {
         Identifier ident = parseIdent();
@@ -1103,10 +1111,7 @@
       return;
     }
 
-    Token pathToken = token;
-    String path = (String) token.value;
-
-    nextToken();
+    StringLiteral path = parseStringLiteral();
     expect(TokenKind.COMMA);
 
     Map<Identifier, String> symbols = new HashMap<>();
@@ -1130,7 +1135,7 @@
     try {
       stmt.validatePath();
     } catch (EvalException e) {
-      syntaxError(pathToken, e.getMessage());
+      reportError(path.getLocation(), e.getMessage());
     }
 
     list.add(setLocation(stmt, start, token.left));