diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/macro_parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/macro_parser.rs
index 713bf9afcd0..82e7de08d65 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/macro_parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/macro_parser.rs
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ pub fn parse(sess: @mut ParseSess,
                     nts, next_eis.len()));
             } else if (bb_eis.len() == 0u && next_eis.len() == 0u) {
                 return failure(sp, ~"No rules expected the token: "
-                            + to_str(rdr.interner(), tok));
+                            + to_str(rdr.interner(), &tok));
             } else if (next_eis.len() > 0u) {
                 /* Now process the next token */
                 while(next_eis.len() > 0u) {
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ pub fn parse_nt(p: Parser, name: ~str) -> nonterminal {
       ~"ident" => match *p.token {
         token::IDENT(sn,b) => { p.bump(); token::nt_ident(sn,b) }
         _ => p.fatal(~"expected ident, found "
-                     + token::to_str(p.reader.interner(), copy *p.token))
+                     + token::to_str(p.reader.interner(), &copy *p.token))
       },
       ~"path" => token::nt_path(p.parse_path_with_tps(false)),
       ~"tt" => {
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/comments.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/comments.rs
index 152bd9b0ce4..377b089c532 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/comments.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/comments.rs
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ pub fn gather_comments_and_literals(span_diagnostic: diagnostic::span_handler,
             literals.push(lit {lit: s, pos: sp.lo});
             log(debug, ~"tok lit: " + s);
         } else {
-            log(debug, ~"tok: " + token::to_str(rdr.interner, tok));
+            log(debug, ~"tok: " + token::to_str(rdr.interner, &tok));
         }
         first_read = false;
     }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/common.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/common.rs
index 93d3b8b3364..764ff52a303 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/common.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/common.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ pub fn seq_sep_none() -> SeqSep {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn token_to_str(reader: reader, ++token: token::Token) -> ~str {
+pub fn token_to_str(reader: reader, token: &token::Token) -> ~str {
     token::to_str(reader.interner(), token)
 }
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
             *self.last_span,
             fmt!(
                 "unexpected token: `%s`",
-                token_to_str(self.reader, t)
+                token_to_str(self.reader, &t)
             )
         );
     }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
         self.fatal(
             fmt!(
                 "unexpected token: `%s`",
-                token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token)
+                token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
             )
         );
     }
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ pub impl Parser {
             self.bump();
         } else {
             self.fatal(
-                fmt!("expected `%s` but found `%s`",
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, *t),
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token)
+                fmt!(
+                    "expected `%s` but found `%s`",
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, t),
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                 )
             )
         }
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 self.fatal(
                     fmt!(
                         "expected ident, found `%s`",
-                         token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token)
+                        token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                     )
                 );
             }
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
     }
 
     fn is_keyword(word: &~str) -> bool {
-        self.token_is_keyword(word, &*self.token)
+        self.token_is_keyword(word, &copy *self.token)
     }
 
     fn is_any_keyword(tok: &token::Token) -> bool {
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 fmt!(
                     "expected `%s`, found `%s`",
                     *word,
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token)
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                 )
             );
         }
@@ -190,11 +191,11 @@ pub impl Parser {
 
     fn check_strict_keywords() {
         match *self.token {
-          token::IDENT(_, false) => {
-            let w = token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token);
-            self.check_strict_keywords_(&w);
-          }
-          _ => ()
+            token::IDENT(_, false) => {
+                let w = token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token);
+                self.check_strict_keywords_(&w);
+            }
+            _ => ()
         }
     }
 
@@ -210,11 +211,11 @@ pub impl Parser {
 
     fn check_reserved_keywords() {
         match *self.token {
-          token::IDENT(_, false) => {
-            let w = token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token);
-            self.check_reserved_keywords_(&w);
-          }
-          _ => ()
+            token::IDENT(_, false) => {
+                let w = token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token);
+                self.check_reserved_keywords_(&w);
+            }
+            _ => ()
         }
     }
 
@@ -237,9 +238,9 @@ pub impl Parser {
             );
         } else {
             let mut s: ~str = ~"expected `";
-            s += token_to_str(self.reader, token::GT);
+            s += token_to_str(self.reader, &token::GT);
             s += ~"`, found `";
-            s += token_to_str(self.reader, *self.token);
+            s += token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token);
             s += ~"`";
             self.fatal(s);
         }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index 05f6a3e7517..d0c6019e09a 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
             let hi = p.last_span.hi;
             debug!("parse_trait_methods(): trait method signature ends in \
                     `%s`",
-                   token_to_str(p.reader, copy *p.token));
+                   token_to_str(p.reader, &copy *p.token));
             match *p.token {
               token::SEMI => {
                 p.bump();
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                     p.fatal(
                         fmt!(
                             "expected `;` or `}` but found `%s`",
-                            token_to_str(p.reader, copy *p.token)
+                            token_to_str(p.reader, &copy *p.token)
                         )
                     );
                 }
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                         fmt!(
                             "expected integral vector length \
                             but found `%s`",
-                            token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                            token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                         )
                     );
                 }
@@ -1423,7 +1423,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 p.fatal(
                     fmt!(
                         "incorrect close delimiter: `%s`",
-                        token_to_str(p.reader, copy *p.token)
+                        token_to_str(p.reader, &copy *p.token)
                     )
                 );
               }
@@ -2114,7 +2114,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                     self.fatal(
                         fmt!(
                             "expected `}`, found `%s`",
-                            token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                            token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                         )
                     );
                 }
@@ -2621,10 +2621,15 @@ pub impl Parser {
                                 copy t => {
                                     if classify::stmt_ends_with_semi(*stmt) {
                                         self.fatal(
-                                            ~"expected `;` or `}` after \
-                                              expression but found `"
-                                            + token_to_str(self.reader, t)
-                                            + ~"`");
+                                            fmt!(
+                                                "expected `;` or `}` after \
+                                                expression but found `%s`",
+                                                token_to_str(
+                                                    self.reader,
+                                                    &t
+                                                )
+                                            )
+                                        );
                                     }
                                     stmts.push(stmt);
                                 }
@@ -2811,7 +2816,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
             self.fatal(
                 fmt!(
                     "expected `self` but found `%s`",
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                 )
             );
         }
@@ -2883,7 +2888,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                     self.fatal(
                         fmt!(
                             "expected `,` or `)`, found `%s`",
-                            token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                            token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                         )
                     );
                 }
@@ -3194,7 +3199,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 fmt!(
                     "expected `{`, `(`, or `;` after struct name \
                     but found `%s`",
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                 )
             );
         }
@@ -3244,7 +3249,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                     copy *self.span,
                     fmt!(
                         "expected `;`, `,`, or '}' but found `%s`",
-                        token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                        token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                     )
                 );
             }
@@ -3334,7 +3339,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 self.fatal(
                     fmt!(
                         "expected item but found `%s`",
-                        token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                        token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                     )
                 );
               }
@@ -3590,7 +3595,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 copy *self.span,
                 fmt!(
                     "expected `{` or `mod` but found `%s`",
-                    token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                    token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                 )
             );
         }
@@ -3603,7 +3608,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
                         copy *self.span,
                         fmt!(
                             "expected foreign module name but found `%s`",
-                            token_to_str(self.reader, copy *self.token)
+                            token_to_str(self.reader, &copy *self.token)
                         )
                     );
                 }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
index 8e88ac1d525..bc61ce9e7fc 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ pub fn binop_to_str(o: binop) -> ~str {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn to_str(in: @ident_interner, t: Token) -> ~str {
-    match t {
+pub fn to_str(in: @ident_interner, t: &Token) -> ~str {
+    match *t {
       EQ => ~"=",
       LT => ~"<",
       LE => ~"<=",
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs b/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
index b4773fe2f97..7cf297b324b 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
@@ -777,14 +777,14 @@ pub fn print_tt(s: @ps, tt: ast::token_tree) {
     match tt {
       ast::tt_delim(ref tts) => print_tts(s, *tts),
       ast::tt_tok(_, ref tk) => {
-          word(s.s, parse::token::to_str(s.intr, (*tk)));
+          word(s.s, parse::token::to_str(s.intr, tk));
       }
       ast::tt_seq(_, ref tts, ref sep, zerok) => {
         word(s.s, ~"$(");
         for (*tts).each() |tt_elt| { print_tt(s, *tt_elt); }
         word(s.s, ~")");
         match (*sep) {
-          Some(ref tk) => word(s.s, parse::token::to_str(s.intr, (*tk))),
+          Some(ref tk) => word(s.s, parse::token::to_str(s.intr, tk)),
           None => ()
         }
         word(s.s, if zerok { ~"*" } else { ~"+" });