diff --git a/serde/src/de/mod.rs b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
index 11050648..142502b7 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -32,10 +32,19 @@ pub trait Error: Sized + error::Error {
     fn end_of_stream() -> Self;
 
     /// Raised when a `Deserialize` struct type received an unexpected struct field.
-    fn unknown_field(field: &str) -> Self;
+    fn unknown_field(field: &str) -> Self {
+        Error::syntax(&format!("Unknown field `{}`", field))
+    }
 
-    /// Raised when a `Deserialize` struct type did not receive a field.
-    fn missing_field(field: &'static str) -> Self;
+    /// Raised when a `Deserialize` enum type received an unexpected variant.
+    fn unknown_variant(field: &str) -> Self {
+        Error::syntax(&format!("Unknown variant `{}`", field))
+    }
+
+    /// raised when a `deserialize` struct type did not receive a field.
+    fn missing_field(field: &'static str) -> Self {
+        Error::syntax(&format!("Missing field `{}`", field))
+    }
 }
 
 /// `Type` represents all the primitive types that can be deserialized. This is used by
diff --git a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
index bc53153e..a94fd02b 100644
--- a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
@@ -566,6 +566,7 @@ fn deserialize_item_enum(
                 .collect()
         ),
         container_attrs,
+        true,
     );
 
     let variants_expr = builder.expr().ref_().slice()
@@ -807,6 +808,7 @@ fn deserialize_field_visitor(
     builder: &aster::AstBuilder,
     field_names: Vec<P<ast::Expr>>,
     container_attrs: &attr::ContainerAttrs,
+    is_variant: bool,
 ) -> Vec<P<ast::Item>> {
     // Create the field names for the fields.
     let field_idents: Vec<ast::Ident> = (0 .. field_names.len())
@@ -838,10 +840,16 @@ fn deserialize_field_visitor(
         })
         .collect();
 
+    let (index_error_msg, unknown_ident) = if is_variant {
+        (builder.expr().str("expected a variant"), builder.id("unknown_variant"))
+    } else {
+        (builder.expr().str("expected a field"), builder.id("unknown_field"))
+    };
+
     let index_body = quote_expr!(cx,
         match value {
             $index_field_arms
-            _ => { Err(::serde::de::Error::syntax("expected a field")) }
+            _ => { Err(::serde::de::Error::syntax($index_error_msg)) }
         }
     );
 
@@ -853,10 +861,10 @@ fn deserialize_field_visitor(
         })
         .collect();
 
-    let fallthrough_arm_expr = if !container_attrs.deny_unknown_fields() {
+    let fallthrough_arm_expr = if !is_variant && !container_attrs.deny_unknown_fields() {
         quote_expr!(cx, Ok(__Field::__ignore))
     } else {
-        quote_expr!(cx, Err(::serde::de::Error::unknown_field(value)))
+        quote_expr!(cx, Err(::serde::de::Error::$unknown_ident(value)))
     };
 
     let str_body = quote_expr!(cx,
@@ -947,7 +955,8 @@ fn deserialize_struct_visitor(
         cx,
         builder,
         try!(field_exprs),
-        container_attrs
+        container_attrs,
+        false,
     );
 
     let visit_map_expr = try!(deserialize_map(
diff --git a/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs b/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
index dcc6e8f0..568bfaea 100644
--- a/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/tests/test_de.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@ use num::rational::Ratio;
 
 use serde::de::{Deserializer, Visitor};
 
-use token::{Token, assert_de_tokens, assert_de_tokens_ignore};
+use token::{
+    Error,
+    Token,
+    assert_de_tokens,
+    assert_de_tokens_ignore,
+    assert_de_tokens_error,
+};
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
@@ -600,3 +606,13 @@ declare_tests! {
         ],
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_enum_error() {
+    assert_de_tokens_error::<Enum>(
+        vec![
+            Token::EnumUnit("Enum", "Foo"),
+        ],
+        Error::UnknownVariantError("Foo".to_owned()),
+    )
+}
diff --git a/serde_tests/tests/token.rs b/serde_tests/tests/token.rs
index 40810d47..30d623be 100644
--- a/serde_tests/tests/token.rs
+++ b/serde_tests/tests/token.rs
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ pub enum Error {
     SyntaxError,
     EndOfStreamError,
     UnknownFieldError(String),
+    UnknownVariantError(String),
     MissingFieldError(&'static str),
     InvalidName(&'static str),
     InvalidValue(String),
@@ -395,6 +396,10 @@ impl de::Error for Error {
         Error::UnknownFieldError(field.to_owned())
     }
 
+    fn unknown_variant(variant: &str) -> Error {
+        Error::UnknownVariantError(variant.to_owned())
+    }
+
     fn missing_field(field: &'static str) -> Error {
         Error::MissingFieldError(field)
     }