diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/resolve_lifetime.rs b/src/librustc/middle/resolve_lifetime.rs
index 76c73f12f4e..9ccca9e6a08 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/resolve_lifetime.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/resolve_lifetime.rs
@@ -697,9 +697,10 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> LifetimeContext<'a, 'tcx> {
     }
 
     fn unresolved_lifetime_ref(&self, lifetime_ref: &hir::Lifetime) {
-        span_err!(self.sess, lifetime_ref.span, E0261,
-            "use of undeclared lifetime name `{}`",
-                    lifetime_ref.name);
+        struct_span_err!(self.sess, lifetime_ref.span, E0261,
+            "use of undeclared lifetime name `{}`", lifetime_ref.name)
+            .span_label(lifetime_ref.span, &format!("undeclared lifetime"))
+            .emit();
     }
 
     fn check_lifetime_defs(&mut self, old_scope: Scope, lifetimes: &[hir::LifetimeDef]) {
@@ -708,8 +709,12 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> LifetimeContext<'a, 'tcx> {
 
             for lifetime in lifetimes {
                 if lifetime.lifetime.name == keywords::StaticLifetime.name() {
-                    span_err!(self.sess, lifetime.lifetime.span, E0262,
-                        "invalid lifetime parameter name: `{}`", lifetime.lifetime.name);
+                    let lifetime = lifetime.lifetime;
+                    let mut err = struct_span_err!(self.sess, lifetime.span, E0262,
+                                  "invalid lifetime parameter name: `{}`", lifetime.name);
+                    err.span_label(lifetime.span,
+                                   &format!("{} is a reserved lifetime name", lifetime.name));
+                    err.emit();
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/E0261.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/E0261.rs
index 4196ad370b8..558c1c38144 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/E0261.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/E0261.rs
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@
 // except according to those terms.
 
 fn foo(x: &'a str) { } //~ ERROR E0261
+                       //~| undeclared lifetime
 
 struct Foo {
     x: &'a str, //~ ERROR E0261
+                //~| undeclared lifetime
 }
 
 fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/E0262.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/E0262.rs
index e09e4766d51..41b6acaee4a 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/E0262.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/E0262.rs
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@
 // except according to those terms.
 
 fn foo<'static>(x: &'static str) { } //~ ERROR E0262
+                                     //~| 'static is a reserved lifetime name
 
 fn main() {}