diff --git a/src/libstd/rt/kill.rs b/src/libstd/rt/kill.rs
index afef699390b7..94df621ce766 100644
--- a/src/libstd/rt/kill.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/rt/kill.rs
@@ -648,7 +648,9 @@ impl Death {
     #[inline]
     pub fn allow_kill(&mut self, already_failing: bool) {
         if self.unkillable == 0 {
-            fail!("illegal call of rekillable");
+            // we need to decrement the counter before failing.
+            self.unkillable -= 1;
+            fail!("Cannot enter a rekillable() block without a surrounding unkillable()");
         }
         self.unkillable -= 1;
         if self.unkillable == 0 {
diff --git a/src/libstd/task/mod.rs b/src/libstd/task/mod.rs
index d094623b57ba..74e1af540c0a 100644
--- a/src/libstd/task/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/task/mod.rs
@@ -651,8 +651,8 @@ fn test_kill_unkillable_task() {
     }
 }
 
-#[ignore(reason = "linked failure")]
 #[test]
+#[ignore(cfg(windows))]
 fn test_kill_rekillable_task() {
     use rt::test::*;
 
@@ -672,8 +672,8 @@ fn test_kill_rekillable_task() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[ignore(cfg(windows))]
 #[should_fail]
+#[ignore(cfg(windows))]
 fn test_rekillable_not_nested() {
     do rekillable {
         // This should fail before