diff --git a/src/librustc_typeck/check/autoderef.rs b/src/librustc_typeck/check/autoderef.rs
index 3c176744fca59..265422468fe2a 100644
--- a/src/librustc_typeck/check/autoderef.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_typeck/check/autoderef.rs
@@ -54,9 +54,11 @@ impl<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> Iterator for Autoderef<'a, 'gcx, 'tcx> {
 
         if self.steps.len() == tcx.sess.recursion_limit.get() {
             // We've reached the recursion limit, error gracefully.
-            span_err!(tcx.sess, self.span, E0055,
+            struct_span_err!(tcx.sess, self.span, E0055,
                       "reached the recursion limit while auto-dereferencing {:?}",
-                      self.cur_ty);
+                      self.cur_ty)
+                      .span_label(self.span, &format!("deref recursion limit reached"))
+                      .emit();
             return None;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/E0055.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/E0055.rs
index f86d7ec114b93..2b2d278ad4cc6 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/E0055.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/E0055.rs
@@ -18,5 +18,7 @@ impl Foo {
 fn main() {
     let foo = Foo;
     let ref_foo = &&Foo;
-    ref_foo.foo(); //~ ERROR E0055
+    ref_foo.foo();
+    //~^ ERROR E0055
+    //~| NOTE deref recursion limit reached
 }