diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/ty.rs b/src/librustc/middle/ty.rs
index 3ec1106ff20..ff949a93e01 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/ty.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/ty.rs
@@ -3912,9 +3912,15 @@ pub fn type_err_to_str(cx: &ctxt, err: &type_err) -> String {
                     trait_store_to_string(cx, (*values).found))
         }
         terr_sorts(values) => {
-            format!("expected {}, found {}",
-                    ty_sort_string(cx, values.expected),
-                    ty_sort_string(cx, values.found))
+            // A naive approach to making sure that we're not reporting silly errors such as:
+            // (expected closure, found closure).
+            let expected_str = ty_sort_string(cx, values.expected);
+            let found_str = ty_sort_string(cx, values.found);
+            if expected_str == found_str {
+                format!("expected {}, found a different {}", expected_str, found_str)
+            } else {
+                format!("expected {}, found {}", expected_str, found_str)
+            }
         }
         terr_traits(values) => {
             format!("expected trait `{}`, found trait `{}`",
diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/typeck/infer/error_reporting.rs b/src/librustc/middle/typeck/infer/error_reporting.rs
index 0f000e93fc0..e6c158ef9af 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/typeck/infer/error_reporting.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/typeck/infer/error_reporting.rs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ pub trait ErrorReporting {
 
     fn values_str(&self, values: &ValuePairs) -> Option<String>;
 
-    fn expected_found_str<T: UserString + Resolvable>(
+    fn expected_found_str<T: UserString + Resolvable + HasRemainingTypeVariables>(
         &self,
         exp_found: &ty::expected_found<T>)
         -> Option<String>;
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> ErrorReporting for InferCtxt<'a, 'tcx> {
         }
     }
 
-    fn expected_found_str<T: UserString + Resolvable>(
+    fn expected_found_str<T: UserString + Resolvable + HasRemainingTypeVariables>(
         &self,
         exp_found: &ty::expected_found<T>)
         -> Option<String>
@@ -1656,16 +1656,13 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> ErrorReportingHelpers for InferCtxt<'a, 'tcx> {
 pub trait Resolvable {
     fn resolve(&self, infcx: &InferCtxt) -> Self;
     fn contains_error(&self) -> bool;
+}
+
+pub trait HasRemainingTypeVariables {
     fn remaining_type_variables(&self, tcx: &ty::ctxt) -> HashSet<ty::InferTy>;
 }
 
-impl Resolvable for ty::t {
-    fn resolve(&self, infcx: &InferCtxt) -> ty::t {
-        infcx.resolve_type_vars_if_possible(*self)
-    }
-    fn contains_error(&self) -> bool {
-        ty::type_is_error(*self)
-    }
+impl<T: TypeFoldable> HasRemainingTypeVariables for T {
     fn remaining_type_variables(&self, tcx: &ty::ctxt) -> HashSet<ty::InferTy> {
         let mut vars = HashSet::new();
         {
@@ -1684,6 +1681,15 @@ impl Resolvable for ty::t {
     }
 }
 
+impl Resolvable for ty::t {
+    fn resolve(&self, infcx: &InferCtxt) -> ty::t {
+        infcx.resolve_type_vars_if_possible(*self)
+    }
+    fn contains_error(&self) -> bool {
+        ty::type_is_error(*self)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Resolvable for Rc<ty::TraitRef> {
     fn resolve(&self, infcx: &InferCtxt) -> Rc<ty::TraitRef> {
         Rc::new(infcx.resolve_type_vars_in_trait_ref_if_possible(&**self))
@@ -1691,9 +1697,6 @@ impl Resolvable for Rc<ty::TraitRef> {
     fn contains_error(&self) -> bool {
         ty::trait_ref_contains_error(&**self)
     }
-    fn remaining_type_variables(&self, _: &ty::ctxt) -> HashSet<ty::InferTy> {
-        HashSet::new()
-    }
 }
 
 fn lifetimes_in_scope(tcx: &ty::ctxt,
diff --git a/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs b/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
index 572f2c9abf2..eb37f68154d 100644
--- a/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/util/ppaux.rs
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ pub fn ty_to_string_with_var_ids(cx: &ctxt, typ: t, mut print_var_ids: bool) ->
 
     fn infer_ty_to_string(ty: ty::InferTy, print_var_ids: bool) -> String {
         match ty {
-            ty::TyVar(ty::TyVid { index: vid })
-              | ty::IntVar(ty::IntVid { index: vid })
-              | ty::FloatVar(ty::FloatVid { index: vid }) => {
+            ty::TyVar(ty::TyVid { index: vid }) |
+            ty::IntVar(ty::IntVid { index: vid }) |
+            ty::FloatVar(ty::FloatVid { index: vid }) => {
                 match ty {
                     ty::TyVar(_) if print_var_ids => format!("_#{}", vid),
                     ty::TyVar(_) => "_".to_string(),