diff --git a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
index 53b3c8fce077..3d0c612a085c 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
@@ -2537,17 +2537,24 @@ mod unify {
     // Fixups and substitutions
 
     fn fixup_vars(ty_ctxt tcx, @var_bindings vb, t typ) -> fixup_result {
-        fn subst_vars(ty_ctxt tcx, @var_bindings vb, t typ) -> t {
+        fn subst_vars(ty_ctxt tcx, @var_bindings vb,
+                      @mutable option::t[int] unresolved, t typ) -> t {
             alt (struct(tcx, typ)) {
                 case (ty::ty_var(?vid)) {
+                    if ((vid as uint) >= ufind::set_count(vb.sets)) {
+                        *unresolved = some[int](vid);
+                        ret typ;
+                    }
+
                     auto root_id = ufind::find(vb.sets, vid as uint);
                     alt (smallintmap::find[t](vb.types, root_id)) {
                         case (none[t]) {
-                            log_err "unresolved type variable";
-                            fail;
+                            *unresolved = some[int](vid);
+                            ret typ;
                         }
                         case (some[t](?rt)) {
-                            ret fold_ty(tcx, bind subst_vars(tcx, vb, _), rt);
+                            ret fold_ty(tcx,
+                                bind subst_vars(tcx, vb, unresolved, _), rt);
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -2555,24 +2562,22 @@ mod unify {
             }
         }
 
-        // FIXME: Report errors better.
-        ret fix_ok(fold_ty(tcx, bind subst_vars(tcx, vb, _), typ));
+        auto unresolved = @mutable none[int];
+        auto rty = fold_ty(tcx, bind subst_vars(tcx, vb, unresolved, _), typ);
+
+        auto ur = *unresolved;
+        alt (ur) {
+            case (none[int]) { ret fix_ok(rty); }
+            case (some[int](?var_id)) { ret fix_err(var_id); }
+        }
     }
 
-    fn resolve_type_var(&ty_ctxt tcx, &@var_bindings vb, int vid) -> t {
+    fn resolve_type_var(&ty_ctxt tcx, &@var_bindings vb, int vid)
+            -> fixup_result {
         auto root_id = ufind::find(vb.sets, vid as uint);
         alt (smallintmap::find[t](vb.types, root_id)) {
-            case (none[t]) { ret mk_var(tcx, vid); }
-            case (some[t](?rt)) {
-                alt (fixup_vars(tcx, vb, rt)) {
-                    case (fix_ok(?rty)) { ret rty; }
-                    case (fix_err(_)) {
-                        // TODO: antisocial
-                        log_err "failed to resolve type var";
-                        fail;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
+            case (none[t]) { ret fix_ok(mk_var(tcx, vid)); }
+            case (some[t](?rt)) { ret fixup_vars(tcx, vb, rt); }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index d604ad9a3906..db3f3ede0c70 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -1387,11 +1387,8 @@ mod writeback {
         alt (ty::unify::fixup_vars(fcx.ccx.tcx, fcx.var_bindings, typ)) {
             case (fix_ok(?new_type)) { ret new_type; }
             case (fix_err(?vid)) {
-                // TODO: We should try to do a variable ID -> local lookup if
-                // we can and display this in terms of the local that had an
-                // incomplete type.
-                fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_err(sp, #fmt(
-                    "cannot determine type of variable ID `%d`", vid));
+                fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_err(sp,
+                    "cannot determine a type for this expression");
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1434,11 +1431,19 @@ mod writeback {
     fn visit_decl_pre(@fn_ctxt fcx, &@ast::decl d) {
         alt (d.node) {
             case (ast::decl_local(?l)) {
-                // FIXME: Report errors better.
                 auto var_id = fcx.locals.get(l.id);
-                auto lty = ty::unify::resolve_type_var(fcx.ccx.tcx,
+                auto fix_rslt = ty::unify::resolve_type_var(fcx.ccx.tcx,
                     fcx.var_bindings, var_id);
-                write::ty_only(fcx.ccx.tcx, l.ann.id, lty);
+                alt (fix_rslt) {
+                    case (fix_ok(?lty)) {
+                        write::ty_only(fcx.ccx.tcx, l.ann.id, lty);
+                    }
+                    case (fix_err(_)) {
+                        fcx.ccx.tcx.sess.span_err(d.span,
+                            "cannot determine a type for this local " +
+                            "variable");
+                    }
+                }
             }
             case (_) { /* no-op */ }
         }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
index 912fb0a388ac..b492f103c203 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/vector-no-ann.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // xfail-stage0
 
-// error-pattern:Ambiguous type
+// error-pattern:cannot determine a type
 fn main() -> () {
   auto foo = [];
 }