diff --git a/src/libcore/num/strconv.rs b/src/libcore/num/strconv.rs
index c16a29f8295..052246a7744 100644
--- a/src/libcore/num/strconv.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/num/strconv.rs
@@ -486,11 +486,11 @@ pub fn from_str_bytes_common<T:NumCast+Zero+One+Eq+Ord+Copy+Div<T,T>+
         }
     }
 
-    let (start, accum_positive) = match buf[0] {
-      '-' as u8 if !negative => return None,
-      '-' as u8 => (1u, false),
-      '+' as u8 => (1u, true),
-       _        => (0u, true)
+    let (start, accum_positive) = match buf[0] as char {
+      '-' if !negative => return None,
+      '-' => (1u, false),
+      '+' => (1u, true),
+       _  => (0u, true)
     };
 
     // Initialize accumulator with signed zero for floating point parsing to
diff --git a/src/libcore/unstable/extfmt.rs b/src/libcore/unstable/extfmt.rs
index 258da9ff383..11ac8c14fe4 100644
--- a/src/libcore/unstable/extfmt.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/unstable/extfmt.rs
@@ -257,12 +257,12 @@ pub mod ct {
         let mut flags = ~[];
 
         while i < lim {
-            let f = match s[i] {
-                '-' as u8 => FlagLeftJustify,
-                '0' as u8 => FlagLeftZeroPad,
-                ' ' as u8 => FlagSpaceForSign,
-                '+' as u8 => FlagSignAlways,
-                '#' as u8 => FlagAlternate,
+            let f = match s[i] as char {
+                '-' => FlagLeftJustify,
+                '0' => FlagLeftZeroPad,
+                ' ' => FlagSpaceForSign,
+                '+' => FlagSignAlways,
+                '#' => FlagAlternate,
                 _ => break
             };
 
@@ -313,18 +313,18 @@ pub mod ct {
 
         // FIXME (#2249): Do we really want two signed types here?
         // How important is it to be printf compatible?
-        let t = match s[i] {
-            'b' as u8 => TyBool,
-            's' as u8 => TyStr,
-            'c' as u8 => TyChar,
-            'd' as u8 | 'i' as u8 => TyInt(Signed),
-            'u' as u8 => TyInt(Unsigned),
-            'x' as u8 => TyHex(CaseLower),
-            'X' as u8 => TyHex(CaseUpper),
-            't' as u8 => TyBits,
-            'o' as u8 => TyOctal,
-            'f' as u8 => TyFloat,
-            '?' as u8 => TyPoly,
+        let t = match s[i] as char {
+            'b' => TyBool,
+            's' => TyStr,
+            'c' => TyChar,
+            'd' | 'i' => TyInt(Signed),
+            'u' => TyInt(Unsigned),
+            'x' => TyHex(CaseLower),
+            'X' => TyHex(CaseUpper),
+            't' => TyBits,
+            'o' => TyOctal,
+            'f' => TyFloat,
+            '?' => TyPoly,
             _ => err(~"unknown type in conversion: " + s.substr(i, 1))
         };
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index a8870eeee22..b35ae169e1a 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -915,6 +915,24 @@ pub impl Parser {
         codemap::spanned { node: lit, span: mk_sp(lo, self.last_span.hi) }
     }
 
+    // matches '-' lit | lit
+    fn parse_literal_maybe_minus(&self) -> @expr {
+        let minus_lo = self.span.lo;
+        let minus_present = self.eat(&token::BINOP(token::MINUS));
+
+        let lo = self.span.lo;
+        let literal = @self.parse_lit();
+        let hi = self.span.hi;
+        let expr = self.mk_expr(lo, hi, expr_lit(literal));
+
+        if minus_present {
+            let minus_hi = self.span.hi;
+            self.mk_expr(minus_lo, minus_hi, expr_unary(neg, expr))
+        } else {
+            expr
+        }
+    }
+
     // parse a path into a vector of idents, whether the path starts
     // with ::, and a span.
     fn parse_path(&self) -> (~[ast::ident],bool,span) {
@@ -2360,10 +2378,19 @@ pub impl Parser {
                 || self.is_keyword(&~"true")
                 || self.is_keyword(&~"false")
             {
-                // parse an expression pattern or exp .. exp
-                let val = self.parse_expr_res(RESTRICT_NO_BAR_OP);
+                // Parse an expression pattern or exp .. exp.
+                //
+                // These expressions are limited to literals (possibly
+                // preceded by unary-minus) or identifiers.
+                let val = self.parse_literal_maybe_minus();
                 if self.eat(&token::DOTDOT) {
-                    let end = self.parse_expr_res(RESTRICT_NO_BAR_OP);
+                    let end = if is_ident_or_path(&tok) {
+                        let path = self.parse_path_with_tps(true);
+                        let hi = self.span.hi;
+                        self.mk_expr(lo, hi, expr_path(path))
+                    } else {
+                        self.parse_literal_maybe_minus()
+                    };
                     pat = pat_range(val, end);
                 } else {
                     pat = pat_lit(val);