diff --git a/src/librustc/hir/check_attr.rs b/src/librustc/hir/check_attr.rs
index 6e1b7dc86a29..ecf8960c237d 100644
--- a/src/librustc/hir/check_attr.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/hir/check_attr.rs
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CheckAttrVisitor<'a, 'tcx> {
                     self.emit_repr_error(
                         attr.span,
                         stmt.span,
-                        &format!("attribute should not be applied to statements"),
+                        &format!("attribute should not be applied a statement"),
                         &format!("not a struct, enum or union"),
                     );
                 }
@@ -259,16 +259,6 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CheckAttrVisitor<'a, 'tcx> {
     }
 
     fn check_expr_attributes(&self, expr: &hir::Expr) {
-        use hir::Expr_::*;
-        match expr.node {
-            // Assignments, Calls and Structs were handled by Items and Statements
-            ExprCall(..) |
-            ExprAssign(..) |
-            ExprMethodCall(..) |
-            ExprStruct(..) => return,
-            _ => (),
-        }
-
         for attr in expr.attrs.iter() {
             if attr.check_name("inline") {
                 self.check_inline(attr, &expr.span, Target::Expression);
@@ -278,7 +268,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CheckAttrVisitor<'a, 'tcx> {
                     attr.span,
                     expr.span,
                     &format!("attribute should not be applied to an expression"),
-                    &format!("not a struct, enum or union"),
+                    &format!("not defining a struct, enum or union"),
                 );
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-43988.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-43988.rs
index 78237e31ba06..c03cd67fef99 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/issue-43988.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/issue-43988.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ fn main() {
 
     #[repr(nothing)]
     let _x = 0;
-    //~^^ ERROR attribute should not be applied to statements
-
+    //~^^ ERROR attribute should not be applied a statement
 
     #[repr(something_not_real)]
     loop {
@@ -32,5 +31,12 @@ fn main() {
 
     #[repr]
     let _y = "123";
-    //~^^ ERROR attribute should not be applied to statements
+    //~^^ ERROR attribute should not be applied a statement
+
+
+    fn foo() {}
+
+    #[inline(ABC)]
+    foo();
+    //~^^ ERROR attribute should be applied to function
 }