diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/mem_categorization.rs b/src/librustc/middle/mem_categorization.rs
index a893840f678d9..f423c37b9c787 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/mem_categorization.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/mem_categorization.rs
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ impl<TYPER:Typer> MemCategorizationContext<TYPER> {
                       format!("captured outer variable")
                   }
                   _ => {
-                      format!("dereference of {} pointer", ptr_sigil(pk))
+                      format!("dereference of `{}`-pointer", ptr_sigil(pk))
                   }
               }
           }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-in-irrefut-pat.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-in-irrefut-pat.rs
index 63f88347090e4..47bb75cd11b19 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-in-irrefut-pat.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-in-irrefut-pat.rs
@@ -11,16 +11,16 @@
 fn with(f: |&~str|) {}
 
 fn arg_item(&_x: &~str) {}
-    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
+    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
 
 fn arg_closure() {
     with(|&_x| ())
-    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
+    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
 }
 
 fn let_pat() {
     let &_x = &~"hi";
-    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
+    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
 }
 
 pub fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-out-of-vec-tail.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-out-of-vec-tail.rs
index 27b831f3d2bd2..5bb704ecba51c 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-out-of-vec-tail.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/borrowck-move-out-of-vec-tail.rs
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ pub fn main() {
         [_, ..tail] => {
             match tail {
                 [Foo { string: a }, Foo { string: b }] => {
-                    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
-                    //~^^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
+                    //~^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
+                    //~^^ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
                 }
                 _ => {
                     unreachable!();
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-2590.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-2590.rs
index 92f2e5ea689c1..a2bb583a3d698 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-2590.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-2590.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ trait parse {
 
 impl parse for parser {
     fn parse(&self) -> ~[int] {
-        self.tokens //~ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of & pointer
+        self.tokens //~ ERROR cannot move out of dereference of `&`-pointer
     }
 }