diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 716cd8d8..e00fa998 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ to generate an error for a few common error conditions. Here's how it could be u
     fn visit_string<E>(&mut self, _: String) -> Result<i32, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(serde::de::Error::syntax())
+        Err(serde::de::Error::syntax("expect a string"))
     }
 
     ...
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ impl serde::Deserialize for PointField {
                 match value {
                     "x" => Ok(Field::X),
                     "y" => Ok(Field::Y),
-                    _ => Err(serde::de::Error::syntax()),
+                    _ => Err(serde::de::Error::syntax("expected x or y")),
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/serde/src/de/impls.rs b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
index b9f2c90d..48a194f3 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ impl Visitor for BoolVisitor {
         match s.trim() {
             "true" => Ok(true),
             "false" => Ok(false),
-            _ => Err(Error::syntax()),
+            _ => Err(Error::syntax("expected `true` or `false`")),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ macro_rules! impl_deserialize_num_method {
         {
             match FromPrimitive::$from_method(v) {
                 Some(v) => Ok(v),
-                None => Err(Error::syntax()),
+                None => Err(Error::syntax("expected a number")),
             }
         }
     }
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ impl<
     fn visit_str<E>(&mut self, v: &str) -> Result<T, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        str::FromStr::from_str(v.trim()).or(Err(Error::syntax()))
+        str::FromStr::from_str(v.trim()).or(Err(Error::syntax("expected a str")))
     }
 }
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ impl Visitor for CharVisitor {
         let mut iter = v.chars();
         if let Some(v) = iter.next() {
             if iter.next().is_some() {
-                Err(Error::syntax())
+                Err(Error::syntax("expected a character"))
             } else {
                 Ok(v)
             }
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ impl Visitor for StringVisitor {
     {
         match str::from_utf8(v) {
             Ok(s) => Ok(s.to_string()),
-            Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax()),
+            Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax("expected utf8 `&[u8]`")),
         }
     }
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ impl Visitor for StringVisitor {
     {
         match String::from_utf8(v) {
             Ok(s) => Ok(s),
-            Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax()),
+            Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax("expected utf8 `&[u8]`")),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ impl<T> Deserialize for NonZero<T> where T: Deserialize + PartialEq + Zeroable +
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<NonZero<T>, D::Error> where D: Deserializer {
         let value = try!(Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer));
         if value == Zero::zero() {
-            return Err(Error::syntax())
+            return Err(Error::syntax("expected a non-zero value"))
         }
         unsafe {
             Ok(NonZero::new(value))
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ impl<T, E> Deserialize for Result<T, E> where T: Deserialize, E: Deserialize {
                             _ => {
                                 match str::from_utf8(value) {
                                     Ok(value) => Err(Error::unknown_field(value)),
-                                    Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax()),
+                                    Err(_) => Err(Error::syntax("expected a `&[u8]`")),
                                 }
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/serde/src/de/mod.rs b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
index 206d312c..db83bdc2 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub mod value;
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 pub trait Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Self;
+    fn syntax(msg: &str) -> Self;
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Self;
 
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ pub trait Deserializer {
                      _visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
         where V: EnumVisitor,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected an enum"))
     }
 
     /// This method hints that the `Deserialize` type is expecting a `Vec<u8>`. This allows
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_bool<E>(&mut self, _v: bool) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a bool"))
     }
 
     fn visit_isize<E>(&mut self, v: isize) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_i64<E>(&mut self, _v: i64) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a i64"))
     }
 
     fn visit_usize<E>(&mut self, v: usize) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_u64<E>(&mut self, _v: u64) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a u64"))
     }
 
     fn visit_f32<E>(&mut self, v: f32) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_f64<E>(&mut self, _v: f64) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a f64"))
     }
 
     #[inline]
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_str<E>(&mut self, _v: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a str"))
     }
 
     #[inline]
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_unit<E>(&mut self) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a unit"))
     }
 
     #[inline]
@@ -417,37 +417,37 @@ pub trait Visitor {
     fn visit_none<E>(&mut self) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected an Option::None"))
     }
 
     fn visit_some<D>(&mut self, _deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<Self::Value, D::Error>
         where D: Deserializer,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected an Option::Some"))
     }
 
     fn visit_newtype_struct<D>(&mut self, _deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<Self::Value, D::Error>
         where D: Deserializer,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a newtype struct"))
     }
 
     fn visit_seq<V>(&mut self, _visitor: V) -> Result<Self::Value, V::Error>
         where V: SeqVisitor,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a sequence"))
     }
 
     fn visit_map<V>(&mut self, _visitor: V) -> Result<Self::Value, V::Error>
         where V: MapVisitor,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a map"))
     }
 
     fn visit_bytes<E>(&mut self, _v: &[u8]) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
         where E: Error,
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a &[u8]"))
     }
 
     fn visit_byte_buf<E>(&mut self, v: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ pub trait VariantVisitor {
 
     /// `visit_unit` is called when deserializing a variant with no values.
     fn visit_unit(&mut self) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a univ variant"))
     }
 
     /// `visit_newtype` is called when deserializing a variant with a single value. By default this
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ pub trait VariantVisitor {
                       _visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
         where V: Visitor
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a tuple variant"))
     }
 
     /// `visit_struct` is called when deserializing a struct-like variant.
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ pub trait VariantVisitor {
                        _visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
         where V: Visitor
     {
-        Err(Error::syntax())
+        Err(Error::syntax("expected a struct variant"))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/serde/src/de/value.rs b/serde/src/de/value.rs
index 27f46517..b6c6f0fe 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/value.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/value.rs
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ pub enum Error {
 }
 
 impl de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Self { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Self { Error::SyntaxError }
     fn end_of_stream() -> Self { Error::EndOfStreamError }
-    fn unknown_field(field: &str) -> Self { Error::UnknownFieldError(field.to_string()) }
+    fn unknown_field(field: &str) -> Self { Error::UnknownFieldError(String::from(field)) }
     fn missing_field(field: &'static str) -> Self { Error::MissingFieldError(field) }
 }
 
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ impl<I, K, V> de::MapVisitor for MapDeserializer<I, K, V>
                 let mut de = value.into_deserializer();
                 de::Deserialize::deserialize(&mut de)
             }
-            None => Err(de::Error::syntax())
+            None => Err(de::Error::syntax("expected a map value"))
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
index 7e493175..8beb1b9e 100644
--- a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ fn deserialize_field_visitor(
     let index_body = quote_expr!(cx,
         match value {
             $index_field_arms
-            _ => { Err(::serde::de::Error::syntax()) }
+            _ => { Err(::serde::de::Error::syntax("expected a field")) }
         }
     );
 
@@ -903,7 +903,13 @@ fn deserialize_field_visitor(
                         // TODO: would be better to generate a byte string literal match
                         match ::std::str::from_utf8(value) {
                             Ok(s) => self.visit_str(s),
-                            _ => Err(::serde::de::Error::syntax()),
+                            _ => {
+                                Err(
+                                    ::serde::de::Error::syntax(
+                                        "could not convert a byte string to a String"
+                                    )
+                                )
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/serde_json/src/error.rs b/serde_json/src/error.rs
index 32b46e37..6621188b 100644
--- a/serde_json/src/error.rs
+++ b/serde_json/src/error.rs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ impl From<de::value::Error> for Error {
     fn from(error: de::value::Error) -> Error {
         match error {
             de::value::Error::SyntaxError => {
-                de::Error::syntax()
+                Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::ExpectedSomeValue, 0, 0)
             }
             de::value::Error::EndOfStreamError => {
                 de::Error::end_of_stream()
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ impl From<de::value::Error> for Error {
 }
 
 impl de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error {
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error {
         Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::ExpectedSomeValue, 0, 0)
     }
 
diff --git a/serde_json/src/value.rs b/serde_json/src/value.rs
index 7d3948f0..b873ad2c 100644
--- a/serde_json/src/value.rs
+++ b/serde_json/src/value.rs
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ impl de::Deserializer for Deserializer {
     {
         let value = match self.value.take() {
             Some(Value::Object(value)) => value,
-            Some(_) => { return Err(de::Error::syntax()); }
+            Some(_) => { return Err(de::Error::syntax("expected an enum")); }
             None => { return Err(de::Error::end_of_stream()); }
         };
 
@@ -708,12 +708,12 @@ impl de::Deserializer for Deserializer {
 
         let (variant, value) = match iter.next() {
             Some(v) => v,
-            None => return Err(de::Error::syntax()),
+            None => return Err(de::Error::syntax("expected a variant name")),
         };
 
         // enums are encoded in json as maps with a single key:value pair
         match iter.next() {
-            Some(_) => Err(de::Error::syntax()),
+            Some(_) => Err(de::Error::syntax("expected map")),
             None => visitor.visit(VariantDeserializer {
                 de: self,
                 val: Some(value),
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ impl<'a> de::VariantVisitor for VariantDeserializer<'a> {
                 visitor,
             )
         } else {
-            Err(de::Error::syntax())
+            Err(de::Error::syntax("expected a tuple"))
         }
     }
 
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ impl<'a> de::VariantVisitor for VariantDeserializer<'a> {
                 visitor,
             )
         } else {
-            Err(de::Error::syntax())
+            Err(de::Error::syntax("expected a struct"))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/serde_tests/benches/bench_enum.rs b/serde_tests/benches/bench_enum.rs
index 311120e6..0367df8b 100644
--- a/serde_tests/benches/bench_enum.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/benches/bench_enum.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pub enum Error {
 }
 
 impl serde::de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error::EndOfStreamError }
 
diff --git a/serde_tests/benches/bench_map.rs b/serde_tests/benches/bench_map.rs
index 24708ac5..2f5b1bca 100644
--- a/serde_tests/benches/bench_map.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/benches/bench_map.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub enum Error {
 }
 
 impl serde::de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error::EndOfStream }
 
diff --git a/serde_tests/benches/bench_struct.rs b/serde_tests/benches/bench_struct.rs
index 1eb2d9ef..0e53d1a3 100644
--- a/serde_tests/benches/bench_struct.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/benches/bench_struct.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ pub enum Error {
 }
 
 impl serde::de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error::EndOfStream }
 
diff --git a/serde_tests/benches/bench_vec.rs b/serde_tests/benches/bench_vec.rs
index d1b40353..450d3f1b 100644
--- a/serde_tests/benches/bench_vec.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/benches/bench_vec.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub enum Error {
 }
 
 impl serde::de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error::EndOfStreamError }
 
diff --git a/serde_tests/tests/test_bytes.rs b/serde_tests/tests/test_bytes.rs
index d0e44abf..d0e8227a 100644
--- a/serde_tests/tests/test_bytes.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/tests/test_bytes.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use serde_json;
 struct Error;
 
 impl serde::de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error }
 
diff --git a/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs b/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
index 99535239..5c944889 100644
--- a/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ enum Error {
 }
 
 impl de::Error for Error {
-    fn syntax() -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
+    fn syntax(_: &str) -> Error { Error::SyntaxError }
 
     fn end_of_stream() -> Error { Error::EndOfStreamError }