diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/Makefile b/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
index 99dbd51622..16bfc66398 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ OFILES=\
 	typecheck.$O\
 	unsafe.$O\
 	walk.$O\
-	y.tab.$O\
+	y1.tab.$O\
 
 $(LIB): $(OFILES)
 	ar rsc $(LIB) $(OFILES)
@@ -49,11 +49,19 @@ $(LIB): $(OFILES)
 $(OFILES): $(HFILES)
 
 y.tab.h: $(YFILES)
-	bison -y $(YFLAGS) $(YFILES)
+	bison -v -y $(YFLAGS) $(YFILES)
 
 y.tab.c: y.tab.h
 	test -f y.tab.c && touch y.tab.c
 
+y1.tab.c: y.tab.c	# make yystate global, yytname mutable
+	cat y.tab.c | sed '/ int yystate;/d; s/int yychar;/int yychar, yystate;/; s/static const char \*const yytname/const char *yytname/' >y1.tab.c
+
+yerr.h: bisonerrors go.errors y.tab.h	# y.tab.h rule generates y.output too
+	awk -f bisonerrors y.output go.errors >yerr.h
+
+subr.$O: yerr.h
+
 builtin.c: builtin.c.boot
 	cp builtin.c.boot builtin.c
 
@@ -63,6 +71,6 @@ opnames.h:	mkopnames go.h
 	./mkopnames go.h >opnames.h
 
 clean:
-	rm -f *.[568o] enam.c [568].out a.out y.tab.h y.tab.c $(LIB) mkbuiltin1 builtin.c _builtin.c opnames.h
+	rm -f *.[568o] enam.c [568].out a.out y.tab.h y.tab.c y1.tab.c y.output yerr.h $(LIB) mkbuiltin1 builtin.c _builtin.c opnames.h
 
 install: $(LIB)
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/bisonerrors b/src/cmd/gc/bisonerrors
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..5110f5350c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/bisonerrors
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+#!/usr/bin/awk -f
+# Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+# Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+# license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+# This program implements the core idea from
+#
+#	Clinton L. Jeffery, Generating LR syntax error messages from examples,
+#	ACM TOPLAS 25(5) (September 2003).  http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/937563.937566
+# 
+# It reads Bison's summary of a grammar followed by a file
+# like go.errors, replacing lines beginning with % by the 
+# yystate and yychar that will be active when an error happens
+# while parsing that line.  
+#
+# Unlike the system described in the paper, the lines in go.errors
+# give grammar symbol name lists, not actual program fragments.
+# This is a little less programmer-friendly but doesn't require being
+# able to run the text through lex.c.
+
+BEGIN{
+	bison = 1
+	grammar = 0
+	states = 0
+}
+
+# In Grammar section of y.output,
+# record lhs and length of rhs for each rule.
+bison && /^Grammar/ { grammar = 1 }
+bison && /^(Terminals|state 0)/ { grammar = 0 }
+grammar && NF>0 {
+	if($2 != "|") {
+		r = $2
+		sub(/:$/, "", r)
+	}
+	rulelhs[$1] = r
+	rulesize[$1] = NF-2
+	if(rulesize[$1] == 3 && $3 $4 $5 == "/*empty*/") {
+		rulesize[$1] = 0
+	}
+}
+
+# In state dumps, record shift/reduce actions.
+bison && /^state 0/ { grammar = 0; states = 1 }
+
+states && /^state / { state = $2 }
+states { statetext[state] = statetext[state] $0 "\n" }
+
+states && / shift, and go to state/ {
+	n = nshift[state]++
+	shift[state,n] = $7
+	shifttoken[state,n] = $1
+	next
+}
+states && / go to state/ {
+	n = nshift[state]++
+	shift[state,n] = $5
+	shifttoken[state,n] = $1
+	next
+}
+states && / reduce using rule/ {
+	n = nreduce[state]++
+	reduce[state,n] = $5
+	reducetoken[state,n] = $1
+	next
+}	
+
+# First // comment marks the beginning of the pattern file.
+/^\/\// { bison = 0; grammar = 0; state = 0 }
+bison { next }
+
+# Treat % as first field on line as introducing a pattern (token sequence).
+# Run it through the LR machine and print the induced "yystate, yychar,"
+# at the point where the error happens.
+$1 == "%" {
+	nstack = 0
+	state = 0
+	f = 2
+	tok = ""
+	for(;;) {
+		if(tok == "" && f <= NF) {
+			tok = $f
+			f++
+		}
+		found = 0
+		for(j=0; j<nshift[state]; j++) {
+			if(shifttoken[state,j] == tok) {
+				# print "SHIFT " tok " " state " -> " shift[state,j]
+				stack[nstack++] = state
+				state = shift[state,j]
+				found = 1
+				tok = ""
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if(found)
+			continue
+		for(j=0; j<nreduce[state]; j++) {
+			if(reducetoken[state,j] == tok || reducetoken[state,j] == "$default") {
+				stack[nstack++] = state
+				rule = reduce[state,j]
+				nstack -= rulesize[rule]
+				state = stack[--nstack]
+				lhs = rulelhs[rule]
+				if(tok != "")
+					--f
+				tok = rulelhs[rule]
+				# print "REDUCE " nstack " " state " " tok " rule " rule " size " rulesize[rule]
+				found = 1
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if(found)
+			continue
+
+		# No shift or reduce applied - found the error.
+		printf("\t%s, %s,\n", state, tok);
+		break
+	}
+	next
+}
+
+# Print other lines verbatim.
+{print}
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/go.errors b/src/cmd/gc/go.errors
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..215f28c5a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/go.errors
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Example-based syntax error messages.
+// See bisonerrors, Makefile, go.y.
+
+static struct {
+	int yystate;
+	int yychar;
+	char *msg;
+} yymsg[] = {
+	// Each line of the form % token list
+	// is converted by bisonerrors into the yystate and yychar caused
+	// by that token list.
+	
+	% loadsys package LIMPORT '(' LLITERAL import_package import_there ','
+	"unexpected , during import block",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LIF if_header ';'
+	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LSWITCH if_header ';'
+	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LFOR for_header ';'
+	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LFOR ';' LBODY
+	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' ';' '{'
+	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LTYPE LNAME ';'
+	"unexpected ; or newline in type declaration",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' if_stmt ';' LELSE
+	"unexpected ; or newline before else",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LTYPE LNAME LINTERFACE '{' LNAME ',' LNAME
+	"name list not allowed in interface type",
+	
+	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LFOR LVAR LNAME '=' LNAME
+	"var declaration not allowed in for initializer",
+};
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/go.y b/src/cmd/gc/go.y
index db9b0db5b8..c309d0d017 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/go.y
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/go.y
@@ -36,13 +36,12 @@
 %token	<lint>	LASOP
 %token	<sym>	LBREAK LCASE LCHAN LCOLAS LCONST LCONTINUE LDDD
 %token	<sym>	LDEFAULT LDEFER LELSE LFALL LFOR LFUNC LGO LGOTO
-%token	<sym>	LIF LIMPORT LINTERFACE LMAKE LMAP LNAME LNEW
+%token	<sym>	LIF LIMPORT LINTERFACE LMAP LNAME
 %token	<sym>	LPACKAGE LRANGE LRETURN LSELECT LSTRUCT LSWITCH
 %token	<sym>	LTYPE LVAR
 
 %token		LANDAND LANDNOT LBODY LCOMM LDEC LEQ LGE LGT
 %token		LIGNORE LINC LLE LLSH LLT LNE LOROR LRSH
-%token		LSEMIBRACE
 
 %type	<lint>	lbrace import_here
 %type	<sym>	sym packname
@@ -112,6 +111,8 @@
 %left		')'
 %left		PreferToRightParen
 
+%error-verbose
+
 %%
 file:
 	loadsys
@@ -800,12 +801,12 @@ pexpr:
 	{
 		$$ = nod(OINDEX, $1, $3);
 	}
-|	pexpr '[' expr ':' ']'
-	{
-		$$ = nod(OSLICE, $1, nod(OKEY, $3, N));
-	}
-|	pexpr '[' expr ':' expr ']'
+|	pexpr '[' oexpr ':' oexpr ']'
 	{
+		if($3 == N) {
+			yyerror("missing lower bound in slice expression");
+			$3 = nodintconst(0);
+		}
 		$$ = nod(OSLICE, $1, nod(OKEY, $3, $5));
 	}
 |	pseudocall
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
index 8d67b8b2d9..4d74bb9631 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 extern int yychar;
 void lexfini(void);
+void yytinit(void);
+
 static char *goos, *goarch, *goroot;
 
 #define	DBG	if(!debug['x']);else print
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	lexinit();
 	typeinit();
+	yytinit();
 
 	blockgen = 1;
 	dclcontext = PEXTERN;
@@ -1469,6 +1472,87 @@ lexname(int lex)
 	return buf;
 }
 
+struct
+{
+	char *have;
+	char *want;
+} yytfix[] =
+{
+	"$end",	"EOF",
+	"LLITERAL",	"literal",
+	"LASOP",	"op=",
+	"LBREAK",	"break",
+	"LCASE",	"case",
+	"LCOLAS",	":=",
+	"LCONST",	"const",
+	"LCONTINUE",	"continue",
+	"LDDD",	"...",
+	"LDEFAULT",	"default",
+	"LDEFER",	"defer",
+	"LELSE",	"else",
+	"LFALL",	"fallthrough",
+	"LFOR",	"for",
+	"LFUNC",	"func",
+	"LGO",	"go",
+	"LGOTO",	"goto",
+	"LIF",	"if",
+	"LIMPORT",	"import",
+	"LINTERFACE",	"interface",
+	"LMAP",	"map",
+	"LNAME",	"name",
+	"LPACKAGE",	"package",
+	"LRANGE",	"range",
+	"LRETURN",	"return",
+	"LSELECT",	"select",
+	"LSTRUCT",	"struct",
+	"LSWITCH",	"switch",
+	"LTYPE",	"type",
+	"LVAR",	"var",
+	"LANDAND",	"&&",
+	"LANDNOT",	"&^",
+	"LBODY",	"{",
+	"LCOMM",	"<-",
+	"LDEC",	"--",
+	"LINC",	"++",
+	"LEQ",	"==",
+	"LGE",	">=",
+	"LGT",	">",
+	"LLE",	"<=",
+	"LLT",	"<",
+	"LLSH",	"<<",
+	"LRSH",	">>",
+	"LOROR",	"||",
+	"LNE",	"!=",
+};
+
+void
+yytinit(void)
+{
+	int i, j;
+	extern char *yytname[];
+	char *s, *t;
+
+	for(i=0; yytname[i] != nil; i++) {
+		s = yytname[i];
+		
+		// turn 'x' into x.
+		if(s[0] == '\'') {
+			t = strdup(s+1);
+			t[strlen(t)-1] = '\0';
+			yytname[i] = t;
+			continue;
+		}
+		
+		// apply yytfix to the rest
+		for(j=0; j<nelem(yytfix); j++) {
+			if(strcmp(s, yytfix[j].have) == 0) {
+				yytname[i] = yytfix[j].want;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}		
+}
+
 void
 mkpackage(char* pkgname)
 {
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/subr.c b/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
index 74ca4cc2cf..9d0c84ac41 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include	"md5.h"
 #include	"y.tab.h"
 #include	"opnames.h"
+#include	"yerr.h"
 
 typedef struct Error Error;
 struct Error
@@ -120,14 +121,47 @@ yyerrorl(int line, char *fmt, ...)
 		fatal("too many errors");
 }
 
+extern int yystate, yychar;
+
 void
 yyerror(char *fmt, ...)
 {
+	int i;
+	static int lastsyntax;
 	va_list arg;
 
-	if(strcmp(fmt, "syntax error") == 0) {
-		yyerrorl(lexlineno, "syntax error near %s", lexbuf);
+	if(strncmp(fmt, "syntax error", 12) == 0) {
 		nsyntaxerrors++;
+		
+		if(debug['x'])	
+			print("yyerror: yystate=%d yychar=%d\n", yystate, yychar);
+
+		// only one syntax error per line
+		if(lastsyntax == lexlineno)
+			return;
+		lastsyntax = lexlineno;
+		
+		// look for parse state-specific errors in list (see go.errors).
+		for(i=0; i<nelem(yymsg); i++) {
+			if(yymsg[i].yystate == yystate && yymsg[i].yychar == yychar) {
+				yyerrorl(lexlineno, "syntax error: %s", yymsg[i].msg);
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		
+		// plain "syntax error" gets "near foo" added
+		if(strcmp(fmt, "syntax error") == 0) {
+			yyerrorl(lexlineno, "syntax error near %s", lexbuf);
+			return;
+		}
+		
+		// if bison says "syntax error, more info"; print "syntax error: more info".
+		if(fmt[12] == ',') {
+			yyerrorl(lexlineno, "syntax error:%s", fmt+13);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		yyerrorl(lexlineno, "%s", fmt);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/golden.out b/test/golden.out
index d87842e4ff..59a83e7a88 100644
--- a/test/golden.out
+++ b/test/golden.out
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ panic PC=xxx
 
 == nilptr/
 
+== syntax/
+
 == fixedbugs/
 
 =========== fixedbugs/bug016.go
diff --git a/test/run b/test/run
index b9bc5da0f2..6d9a71fcab 100755
--- a/test/run
+++ b/test/run
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ ulimit -c 0
 
 true >pass.out >times.out
 
-for dir in . ken chan interface nilptr fixedbugs bugs
+for dir in . ken chan interface nilptr syntax fixedbugs bugs
 do
 	echo
 	echo '==' $dir'/'
diff --git a/test/syntax/forvar.go b/test/syntax/forvar.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f12ce55cae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/forvar.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	for var x = 0; x < 10; x++ {	// ERROR "var declaration not allowed in for initializer"
diff --git a/test/syntax/import.go b/test/syntax/import.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90e7df007e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/import.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"io",	// ERROR "unexpected ,"
+	"os"
+)
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/interface.go b/test/syntax/interface.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7f43533a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/interface.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+type T interface {
+	f, g ()	// ERROR "name list not allowed in interface type"
+}
+
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi1.go b/test/syntax/semi1.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c805bb0064
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi1.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	if x; y	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	{
+		z
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi2.go b/test/syntax/semi2.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..237fac8f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi2.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	switch x; y	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	{
+		z
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi3.go b/test/syntax/semi3.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2dbcb59843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi3.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	for x; y; z	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	{
+		z
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi4.go b/test/syntax/semi4.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2268cf75af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi4.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	for x
+	{	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+		z
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi5.go b/test/syntax/semi5.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f907fb8f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi5.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main()
+{	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi6.go b/test/syntax/semi6.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75de3e0a15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi6.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+type T	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline in type declaration"
+{
+
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi7.go b/test/syntax/semi7.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4589043575
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/semi7.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	if x { }
+	else { }	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before else"
+}
+
+
diff --git a/test/syntax/slice.go b/test/syntax/slice.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bc5d4d8d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/syntax/slice.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2010 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+var x = y[:z]	// ERROR "missing lower bound in slice expression"