diff --git a/src/comp/metadata/astencode.rs b/src/comp/metadata/astencode.rs
index 002296a656d..167536907ec 100644
--- a/src/comp/metadata/astencode.rs
+++ b/src/comp/metadata/astencode.rs
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ fn expr(expr: ast:expr) {
             }
           }
 
-          ast::expr_alt(cond, arms) {
+          ast::expr_alt(cond, arms, _) {
             self.tag(at_expr_node_alt) {||
                 self.blk(blk);
                 self.expr(cond);
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/alias.rs b/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
index a4ef21afe37..6782d06d9de 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/alias.rs
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ fn visit_expr(cx: @ctx, ex: @ast::expr, sc: scope, v: vt<scope>) {
         check_call(*cx, sc, f, args);
         handled = false;
       }
-      ast::expr_alt(input, arms) { check_alt(*cx, input, arms, sc, v); }
+      ast::expr_alt(input, arms, _) { check_alt(*cx, input, arms, sc, v); }
       ast::expr_for(decl, seq, blk) {
         v.visit_expr(seq, sc, v);
         check_loop(*cx, sc) {|| check_for(*cx, decl, seq, blk, sc, v); }
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/check_alt.rs b/src/comp/middle/check_alt.rs
index 8bce6ba4a14..5e377e33226 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/check_alt.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/check_alt.rs
@@ -21,19 +21,21 @@ fn check_crate(tcx: ty::ctxt, crate: @crate) {
 fn check_expr(tcx: ty::ctxt, ex: @expr, &&s: (), v: visit::vt<()>) {
     visit::visit_expr(ex, s, v);
     alt ex.node {
-        expr_alt(scrut, arms) {
-            check_arms(tcx, ex.span, scrut,
-                       pat_util::normalize_arms(tcx, arms));
+      expr_alt(scrut, arms, mode) {
+        let arms = pat_util::normalize_arms(tcx, arms);
+        check_arms(tcx, arms);
+        /* Check for exhaustiveness */
+        if mode == alt_exhaustive {
+            let arms = vec::concat(vec::filter_map(arms, unguarded_pat));
+            check_exhaustive(tcx, ex.span, expr_ty(tcx, scrut), arms);
         }
-        _ { }
+      }
+      _ { }
     }
 }
 
-fn check_arms(tcx: ty::ctxt, sp:span, scrut: @expr, arms: [arm]) {
+fn check_arms(tcx: ty::ctxt, arms: [arm]) {
     let i = 0;
-    let scrut_ty = expr_ty(tcx, scrut);
-    /* (Could both checks be done in a single pass?) */
-
     /* Check for unreachable patterns */
     for arm: arm in arms {
         for arm_pat: @pat in arm.pats {
@@ -55,11 +57,6 @@ fn check_arms(tcx: ty::ctxt, sp:span, scrut: @expr, arms: [arm]) {
         }
         i += 1;
     }
-
-    /* Check for exhaustiveness */
-
-    check_exhaustive(tcx, sp, scrut_ty,
-       vec::concat(vec::filter_map(arms, unguarded_pat)));
 }
 
 // Precondition: patterns have been normalized
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/last_use.rs b/src/comp/middle/last_use.rs
index 111cbde0fa3..a0e8388e824 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/last_use.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/last_use.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ fn visit_expr(ex: @expr, cx: ctx, v: visit::vt<ctx>) {
         v.visit_expr(coll, cx, v);
         visit_block(loop, cx) {|| visit::visit_block(blk, cx, v);}
       }
-      expr_alt(input, arms) {
+      expr_alt(input, arms, _) {
         v.visit_expr(input, cx, v);
         let before = cx.current, sets = [];
         for arm in arms {
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans/base.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans/base.rs
index f5f924b5691..618bfcdb89e 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans/base.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans/base.rs
@@ -3257,7 +3257,7 @@ fn trans_expr(bcx: @block_ctxt, e: @ast::expr, dest: dest) -> @block_ctxt {
       ast::expr_if(cond, thn, els) | ast::expr_if_check(cond, thn, els) {
         ret trans_if(bcx, cond, thn, els, dest);
       }
-      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms) {
+      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms, _) {
         ret alt::trans_alt(bcx, expr, arms, dest);
       }
       ast::expr_block(blk) {
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/tstate/pre_post_conditions.rs b/src/comp/middle/tstate/pre_post_conditions.rs
index 66781428122..a3fee3a5a75 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/tstate/pre_post_conditions.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/tstate/pre_post_conditions.rs
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ fn find_pre_post_expr(fcx: fn_ctxt, e: @expr) {
         find_pre_post_loop(fcx, d, index, body, e.id);
       }
       expr_index(val, sub) { find_pre_post_exprs(fcx, [val, sub], e.id); }
-      expr_alt(ex, alts) {
+      expr_alt(ex, alts, _) {
         find_pre_post_expr(fcx, ex);
         fn do_an_alt(fcx: fn_ctxt, an_alt: arm) -> pre_and_post {
             alt an_alt.guard {
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/tstate/states.rs b/src/comp/middle/tstate/states.rs
index 73c7f6a6847..7a7c1cd399a 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/tstate/states.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/tstate/states.rs
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ fn find_pre_post_state_expr(fcx: fn_ctxt, pres: prestate, e: @expr) -> bool {
       expr_index(val, sub) {
         ret find_pre_post_state_two(fcx, pres, val, sub, e.id, oper_pure);
       }
-      expr_alt(val, alts) {
+      expr_alt(val, alts, _) {
         let changed =
             set_prestate_ann(fcx.ccx, e.id, pres) |
                 find_pre_post_state_expr(fcx, pres, val);
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index d921fafbf75..aa03940e606 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -2231,7 +2231,7 @@ fn check_user_unop(fcx: @fn_ctxt, op_str: str, mname: str,
               check_block_no_value(fcx, body);
         write_ty(tcx, id, block_ty(tcx, body));
       }
-      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms) {
+      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms, _) {
         bot = check_expr(fcx, expr);
 
         // Typecheck the patterns first, so that we get types for all the
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs b/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
index 2ab7059a2a4..deaf70c41fb 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/ast.rs
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ enum expr_check_mode { claimed_expr, checked_expr, }
 
 type expr = {id: node_id, node: expr_, span: span};
 
+enum alt_mode { alt_check, alt_exhaustive, }
+
 enum expr_ {
     expr_vec([@expr], mutability),
     expr_rec([field], option<@expr>),
@@ -229,7 +231,7 @@ enum expr_ {
     expr_while(@expr, blk),
     expr_for(@local, @expr, blk),
     expr_do_while(blk, @expr),
-    expr_alt(@expr, [arm]),
+    expr_alt(@expr, [arm], alt_mode),
     expr_fn(proto, fn_decl, blk, @capture_clause),
     expr_fn_block(fn_decl, blk),
     expr_block(blk),
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
index 0ded2bebd62..878b26fa84c 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
@@ -383,8 +383,8 @@ fn fold_field_(field: field, fld: ast_fold) -> field {
           expr_do_while(blk, expr) {
             expr_do_while(fld.fold_block(blk), fld.fold_expr(expr))
           }
-          expr_alt(expr, arms) {
-            expr_alt(fld.fold_expr(expr), vec::map(arms, fld.fold_arm))
+          expr_alt(expr, arms, mode) {
+            expr_alt(fld.fold_expr(expr), vec::map(arms, fld.fold_arm), mode)
           }
           expr_fn(proto, decl, body, captures) {
               expr_fn(proto, fold_fn_decl(decl, fld),
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
index ad6b47858bc..01f04433908 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -1372,6 +1372,8 @@ fn parse_do_while_expr(p: parser) -> @ast::expr {
 
 fn parse_alt_expr(p: parser) -> @ast::expr {
     let lo = p.last_span.lo;
+    let mode = if eat_word(p, "check") { ast::alt_check }
+               else { ast::alt_exhaustive };
     let discriminant = parse_expr(p);
     expect(p, token::LBRACE);
     let arms: [ast::arm] = [];
@@ -1384,7 +1386,7 @@ fn parse_alt_expr(p: parser) -> @ast::expr {
     }
     let hi = p.span.hi;
     p.bump();
-    ret mk_expr(p, lo, hi, ast::expr_alt(discriminant, arms));
+    ret mk_expr(p, lo, hi, ast::expr_alt(discriminant, arms, mode));
 }
 
 fn parse_expr(p: parser) -> @ast::expr {
@@ -1653,7 +1655,7 @@ fn expr_is_complete(p: parser, e: pexpr) -> bool {
 fn expr_requires_semi_to_be_stmt(e: @ast::expr) -> bool {
     alt e.node {
       ast::expr_if(_, _, _) | ast::expr_if_check(_, _, _)
-      | ast::expr_alt(_, _) | ast::expr_block(_)
+      | ast::expr_alt(_, _, _) | ast::expr_block(_)
       | ast::expr_do_while(_, _) | ast::expr_while(_, _)
       | ast::expr_for(_, _, _)
       | ast::expr_call(_, _, true) {
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs b/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
index b0ed7ceed00..9cd9cd0503a 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/print/pprust.rs
@@ -901,10 +901,11 @@ fn print_opt(s: ps, expr: option<@ast::expr>) {
         word_space(s, "while");
         print_expr(s, expr);
       }
-      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms) {
+      ast::expr_alt(expr, arms, mode) {
         cbox(s, alt_indent_unit);
         ibox(s, 4u);
         word_nbsp(s, "alt");
+        if mode == ast::alt_check { word_nbsp(s, "check"); }
         print_maybe_parens_discrim(s, expr);
         space(s.s);
         bopen(s);
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs b/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
index 29d673f6560..5cf4773101e 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/visit.rs
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ fn visit_expr<E>(ex: @expr, e: E, v: vt<E>) {
         v.visit_block(b, e, v);
       }
       expr_do_while(b, x) { v.visit_block(b, e, v); v.visit_expr(x, e, v); }
-      expr_alt(x, arms) {
+      expr_alt(x, arms, _) {
         v.visit_expr(x, e, v);
         for a: arm in arms { v.visit_arm(a, e, v); }
       }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/bind-methods.rs b/src/test/run-pass/bind-methods.rs
index d5bcfdcec63..2eb20ed0e9d 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/bind-methods.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/bind-methods.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-// xfail-test
-
 iface foo {
     fn foo() -> int;
     fn bar(p: int) -> int;