diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index a2056a4c9b..c8b6c432ee 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -20695,8 +20695,13 @@ static IrInstGen *ir_analyze_fn_call(IrAnalyze *ira, IrInst* source_instr,
                 if ((return_type->id == ZigTypeIdErrorUnion || return_type->id == ZigTypeIdErrorSet) &&
                     expected_return_type->id != ZigTypeIdErrorUnion && expected_return_type->id != ZigTypeIdErrorSet)
                 {
-                    add_error_note(ira->codegen, ira->new_irb.exec->first_err_trace_msg,
-                        ira->explicit_return_type_source_node, buf_create_from_str("function cannot return an error"));
+                    if (call_result_loc->id == ResultLocIdReturn) {
+                        add_error_note(ira->codegen, ira->new_irb.exec->first_err_trace_msg, 
+                            ira->explicit_return_type_source_node, buf_sprintf("function cannot return an error"));
+                    } else {
+                        add_error_note(ira->codegen, ira->new_irb.exec->first_err_trace_msg, result_loc->base.source_node,
+                            buf_sprintf("cannot store an error in type '%s'", buf_ptr(&expected_return_type->name)));
+                    }
                 }
                 return ira->codegen->invalid_inst_gen;
             }
diff --git a/test/compile_errors.zig b/test/compile_errors.zig
index f5ebc02691..fe11763ea1 100644
--- a/test/compile_errors.zig
+++ b/test/compile_errors.zig
@@ -158,16 +158,22 @@ pub fn addCases(cases: *tests.CompileErrorContext) void {
         \\export fn baz() void {
         \\    try bar();
         \\}
-        \\export fn quux() u32 {
+        \\export fn qux() u32 {
         \\    return bar();
         \\}
+        \\export fn quux() u32 {
+        \\    var buf: u32 = 0;
+        \\    buf = bar();
+        \\}
     , &[_][]const u8{
         "tmp.zig:2:17: error: expected type 'u32', found 'error{Ohno}'",
         "tmp.zig:1:17: note: function cannot return an error",
         "tmp.zig:8:5: error: expected type 'void', found '@TypeOf(bar).ReturnType.ErrorSet'",
         "tmp.zig:7:17: note: function cannot return an error",
         "tmp.zig:11:15: error: expected type 'u32', found '@TypeOf(bar).ReturnType.ErrorSet!u32'",
-        "tmp.zig:10:18: note: function cannot return an error",
+        "tmp.zig:10:17: note: function cannot return an error",
+        "tmp.zig:15:14: error: expected type 'u32', found '@TypeOf(bar).ReturnType.ErrorSet!u32'",
+        "tmp.zig:14:5: note: cannot store an error in type 'u32'",
     });
 
     cases.addTest("int/float conversion to comptime_int/float",