diff --git a/clang/include/clang/Format/Format.h b/clang/include/clang/Format/Format.h
--- a/clang/include/clang/Format/Format.h
+++ b/clang/include/clang/Format/Format.h
@@ -2879,7 +2879,8 @@
 private:
   FormatStyleSet StyleSet;
 
-  friend std::error_code parseConfiguration(StringRef Text, FormatStyle *Style,
+  friend std::error_code parseConfiguration(llvm::MemoryBufferRef Config,
+                                            FormatStyle *Style,
                                             bool AllowUnknownOptions);
 };
 
@@ -2938,9 +2939,17 @@
 ///
 /// If AllowUnknownOptions is true, no errors are emitted if unknown
 /// format options are occured.
-std::error_code parseConfiguration(StringRef Text, FormatStyle *Style,
+std::error_code parseConfiguration(llvm::MemoryBufferRef Config,
+                                   FormatStyle *Style,
                                    bool AllowUnknownOptions = false);
 
+/// Like above but accepts an unnamed buffer.
+inline std::error_code parseConfiguration(StringRef Config, FormatStyle *Style,
+                                          bool AllowUnknownOptions = false) {
+  return parseConfiguration(llvm::MemoryBufferRef(Config, "YAML"), Style,
+                            AllowUnknownOptions);
+}
+
 /// Gets configuration in a YAML string.
 std::string configurationAsText(const FormatStyle &Style);
 
diff --git a/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp b/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
--- a/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
+++ b/clang/lib/Format/Format.cpp
@@ -1327,16 +1327,17 @@
   return true;
 }
 
-std::error_code parseConfiguration(StringRef Text, FormatStyle *Style,
+std::error_code parseConfiguration(llvm::MemoryBufferRef Config,
+                                   FormatStyle *Style,
                                    bool AllowUnknownOptions) {
   assert(Style);
   FormatStyle::LanguageKind Language = Style->Language;
   assert(Language != FormatStyle::LK_None);
-  if (Text.trim().empty())
+  if (Config.getBuffer().trim().empty())
     return make_error_code(ParseError::Error);
   Style->StyleSet.Clear();
   std::vector<FormatStyle> Styles;
-  llvm::yaml::Input Input(Text);
+  llvm::yaml::Input Input(Config);
   // DocumentListTraits<vector<FormatStyle>> uses the context to get default
   // values for the fields, keys for which are missing from the configuration.
   // Mapping also uses the context to get the language to find the correct
@@ -2864,8 +2865,9 @@
 
   if (StyleName.startswith("{")) {
     // Parse YAML/JSON style from the command line.
-    if (std::error_code ec =
-            parseConfiguration(StyleName, &Style, AllowUnknownOptions))
+    if (std::error_code ec = parseConfiguration(
+            llvm::MemoryBufferRef(StyleName, "<command-line>"), &Style,
+            AllowUnknownOptions))
       return make_string_error("Error parsing -style: " + ec.message());
     return Style;
   }
@@ -2909,8 +2911,8 @@
             FS->getBufferForFile(ConfigFile.str());
         if (std::error_code EC = Text.getError())
           return make_string_error(EC.message());
-        if (std::error_code ec = parseConfiguration(
-                Text.get()->getBuffer(), &Style, AllowUnknownOptions)) {
+        if (std::error_code ec =
+                parseConfiguration(*Text.get(), &Style, AllowUnknownOptions)) {
           if (ec == ParseError::Unsuitable) {
             if (!UnsuitableConfigFiles.empty())
               UnsuitableConfigFiles.append(", ");
diff --git a/clang/test/Format/error-config.cpp b/clang/test/Format/error-config.cpp
--- a/clang/test/Format/error-config.cpp
+++ b/clang/test/Format/error-config.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 // RUN: clang-format %s --Wno-error=unknown --style="{UnknownKey: true}" 2>&1 | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK
 // RUN: not clang-format %s --style="{UnknownKey: true}" 2>&1 | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-FAIL
 
-// CHECK: YAML:1:2: warning: unknown key 'UnknownKey'
+// CHECK: <command-line>:1:2: warning: unknown key 'UnknownKey'
 // CHECK-NEXT: {UnknownKey: true}
 // CHECK-NEXT: ^~~~~~~~~~
-// CHECK-FAIL: YAML:1:2: error: unknown key 'UnknownKey'
+// CHECK-FAIL: <command-line>:1:2: error: unknown key 'UnknownKey'
 // CHECK-FAIL-NEXT: {UnknownKey: true}
 // CHECK-FAIL-NEXT: ^~~~~~~~~~