diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs b/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
index f2347813ce8c5..20d408a8a52be 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/resolve.rs
@@ -4336,9 +4336,11 @@ impl Resolver {
                             self.record_def(pattern.id, def);
                         }
                         FoundConst(_) => {
-                            self.resolve_error(pattern.span,
-                                                  "only refutable patterns \
-                                                   allowed here");
+                            let msg = format!("only irrefutable patterns \
+                                               allowed here; `{}` is a static \
+                                               constant",
+                                              interner_get(renamed));
+                            self.resolve_error(pattern.span, msg);
                         }
                         BareIdentifierPatternUnresolved => {
                             debug2!("(resolving pattern) binding `{}`",
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/refutable-static-in-binding-position.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/refutable-static-in-binding-position.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3c4671ed66fdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/refutable-static-in-binding-position.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Copyright 2012-2013 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+use b = m::a;
+
+mod m {
+    pub static a : int = 4;
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let b = 4; //~ERROR only irrefutable patterns allowed here
+    println!("{}", b);
+}