diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/kind.rs b/src/librustc/middle/kind.rs
index a207985e64c83..cba094d619e01 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/kind.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/kind.rs
@@ -198,8 +198,9 @@ fn with_appropriate_checker(cx: Context, id: node_id,
     fn check_for_bare(cx: Context, fv: @freevar_entry) {
         cx.tcx.sess.span_err(
             fv.span,
-            "attempted dynamic environment capture");
-    }
+            "can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item; \
+            use the || { ... } closure form instead");
+    } // same check is done in resolve.rs, but shouldn't be done
 
     let fty = ty::node_id_to_type(cx.tcx, id);
     match ty::get(fty).sty {
diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs b/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
index 06147894d4462..f8adb1bbb0a4d 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
@@ -3382,7 +3382,8 @@ impl Resolver {
 
                         self.session.span_err(
                             span,
-                            "attempted dynamic environment-capture");
+                            "can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item; \
+                            use the || { ... } closure form instead");
                     } else {
                         // This was an attempt to use a type parameter outside
                         // its scope.
@@ -3404,7 +3405,8 @@ impl Resolver {
 
                         self.session.span_err(
                             span,
-                            "attempted dynamic environment-capture");
+                            "can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item; \
+                            use the || { ... } closure form instead");
                     } else {
                         // This was an attempt to use a type parameter outside
                         // its scope.
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture.rs
index c1eb39c466aac..ac5a4c220a4a6 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-// error-pattern: attempted dynamic environment-capture
+// error-pattern: can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item;
 fn foo() {
     let x: int;
     fn bar() { log(debug, x); }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture2.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture2.rs
index a6d4d71242b73..c97069acd9aee 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture2.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture2.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-// error-pattern: attempted dynamic environment-capture
+// error-pattern: can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item;
 fn foo(x: int) {
     fn bar() { log(debug, x); }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture3.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture3.rs
index 9e26faf32e7c2..e3a6ac2cdfc4f 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture3.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/bad-env-capture3.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-// error-pattern: attempted dynamic environment-capture
+// error-pattern: can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item;
 fn foo(x: int) {
     fn mth() {
         fn bar() { log(debug, x); }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/capture1.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/capture1.rs
index 290dc70888221..706edd0a112b8 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/capture1.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/capture1.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 // except according to those terms.
 
 
-// error-pattern: attempted dynamic environment-capture
+// error-pattern: can't capture dynamic environment in a fn item;
 
 fn main() {
     let bar: int = 5;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-b.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-b.rs
index d3aec178c238a..641403fb85a14 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-b.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-b.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ fn siphash(k0 : u64) {
 
     impl siphash {
         pub fn reset(&mut self) {
-           self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575; //~ ERROR attempted dynamic environment-capture
+           self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575; //~ ERROR can't capture dynamic environment
            //~^ ERROR unresolved name `k0`.
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-d.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-d.rs
index c6b5d8c42d595..c5ee9e8bb90e1 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-d.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021-d.rs
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ fn siphash(k0 : u64, k1 : u64) -> siphash {
 
    impl siphash for SipState {
         fn reset(&self) {
-            self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575;  //~ ERROR attempted dynamic environment-capture
+            self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575; //~ ERROR can't capture dynamic environment
             //~^ ERROR unresolved name `k0`.
-            self.v1 = k1 ^ 0x646f72616e646f6d;   //~ ERROR attempted dynamic environment-capture
+            self.v1 = k1 ^ 0x646f72616e646f6d; //~ ERROR can't capture dynamic environment
             //~^ ERROR unresolved name `k1`.
         }
         fn result(&self) -> u64 { return mk_result(self); }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021.rs
index 0ca6173275cb2..56ade814db020 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-3021.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ fn siphash(k0 : u64) -> SipHash {
 
     impl SipHash for SipState {
         fn reset(&self) {
-           self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575; //~ ERROR attempted dynamic environment-capture
+           self.v0 = k0 ^ 0x736f6d6570736575; //~ ERROR can't capture dynamic environment
            //~^ ERROR unresolved name `k0`.
         }
     }