diff --git a/src/libstd/time.rs b/src/libstd/time.rs
index 8cc6d0245a1e..72132071a05c 100644
--- a/src/libstd/time.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/time.rs
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
                 tm.tm_yday = v - 1_i32;
                 Ok(pos)
               }
-              None => Err(~"Invalid year")
+              None => Err(~"Invalid day of year")
             }
           }
           'k' => {
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
                 tm.tm_wday = v;
                 Ok(pos)
               }
-              None => Err(~"Invalid weekday")
+              None => Err(~"Invalid day of week")
             }
           }
           'v' => {
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
             // FIXME (#2350): range check.
             match match_digits(s, pos, 1u, false) {
               Some(item) => { let (v, pos) = item; tm.tm_wday = v; Ok(pos) }
-              None => Err(~"Invalid weekday")
+              None => Err(~"Invalid day of week")
             }
           }
           //'X' {}
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
                 tm.tm_year = v - 1900_i32;
                 Ok(pos)
               }
-              None => Err(~"Invalid weekday")
+              None => Err(~"Invalid year")
             }
           }
           'y' => {
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
                 tm.tm_year = v - 1900_i32;
                 Ok(pos)
               }
-              None => Err(~"Invalid weekday")
+              None => Err(~"Invalid year")
             }
           }
           'Z' => {