diff --git a/src/librustc_typeck/collect/type_of.rs b/src/librustc_typeck/collect/type_of.rs
index e17b736058f02..5ebf86ef10126 100644
--- a/src/librustc_typeck/collect/type_of.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_typeck/collect/type_of.rs
@@ -342,17 +342,45 @@ pub(super) fn type_of(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, def_id: DefId) -> Ty<'_> {
                 if traits::search_for_structural_match_violation(param.hir_id, param.span, tcx, ty)
                     .is_some()
                 {
-                    struct_span_err!(
-                        tcx.sess,
-                        hir_ty.span,
-                        E0741,
-                        "the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`",
-                    )
-                    .span_label(
-                        hir_ty.span,
-                        format!("`{}` doesn't derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`", ty),
-                    )
-                    .emit();
+                    // We use the same error code in both branches, because this is really the same
+                    // issue: we just special-case the message for type parameters to make it
+                    // clearer.
+                    if let ty::Param(_) = ty.peel_refs().kind {
+                        // Const parameters may not have type parameters as their types,
+                        // because we cannot be sure that the type parameter derives `PartialEq`
+                        // and `Eq` (just implementing them is not enough for `structural_match`).
+                        struct_span_err!(
+                            tcx.sess,
+                            hir_ty.span,
+                            E0741,
+                            "`{}` is not guaranteed to `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`, so may not be \
+                             used as the type of a const parameter",
+                            ty,
+                        )
+                        .span_label(
+                            hir_ty.span,
+                            format!("`{}` may not derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`", ty),
+                        )
+                        .note(
+                            "it is not currently possible to use a type parameter as the type of a \
+                             const parameter",
+                        )
+                        .emit();
+                    } else {
+                        struct_span_err!(
+                            tcx.sess,
+                            hir_ty.span,
+                            E0741,
+                            "`{}` must be annotated with `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]` to be used as \
+                             the type of a const parameter",
+                            ty,
+                        )
+                        .span_label(
+                            hir_ty.span,
+                            format!("`{}` doesn't derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`", ty),
+                        )
+                        .emit();
+                    }
                 }
                 ty
             }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.rs b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.rs
index 78bd549ba791a..86ab8075896aa 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 struct B<T, const N: T>(PhantomData<[T; N]>); //~ ERROR const generics are unstable
-//~^ ERROR the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+//~^ ERROR `T` is not guaranteed to `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`
 
 fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.stderr b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.stderr
index 14ade3f33fd9b..92a7edf96bccb 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.stderr
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ LL | struct B<T, const N: T>(PhantomData<[T; N]>);
    = note: see issue #44580 <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/44580> for more information
    = help: add `#![feature(const_generics)]` to the crate attributes to enable
 
-error[E0741]: the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+error[E0741]: `T` is not guaranteed to `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`, so may not be used as the type of a const parameter
   --> $DIR/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param-ungated.rs:3:22
    |
 LL | struct B<T, const N: T>(PhantomData<[T; N]>);
-   |                      ^ `T` doesn't derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+   |                      ^ `T` may not derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+   |
+   = note: it is not currently possible to use a type parameter as the type of a const parameter
 
 error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.rs b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.rs
index 684ccf71082c2..7468020366cec 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@
 // details.
 
 pub struct Dependent<T, const X: T>([(); X]);
-//~^ ERROR the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+//~^ ERROR `T` is not guaranteed to `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`
 
 fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.stderr b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.stderr
index 724e3909e458f..9f20b06813e37 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.stderr
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ LL | #![feature(const_generics)]
    |
    = note: `#[warn(incomplete_features)]` on by default
 
-error[E0741]: the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+error[E0741]: `T` is not guaranteed to `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`, so may not be used as the type of a const parameter
   --> $DIR/const-param-type-depends-on-type-param.rs:9:34
    |
 LL | pub struct Dependent<T, const X: T>([(); X]);
-   |                                  ^ `T` doesn't derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+   |                                  ^ `T` may not derive both `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+   |
+   = note: it is not currently possible to use a type parameter as the type of a const parameter
 
 error: aborting due to previous error; 1 warning emitted
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.rs b/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.rs
index 7bc4f3986eb75..a30cdc3efdf43 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ struct B<const X: A>; // ok
 
 struct C;
 
-struct D<const X: C>; //~ ERROR the types of const generic parameters must derive
+struct D<const X: C>; //~ ERROR `C` must be annotated with `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]`
 
 fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.stderr b/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.stderr
index d2469ca766ec7..4f343146263ba 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/const-generics/forbid-non-structural_match-types.stderr
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ LL | #![feature(const_generics)]
    |
    = note: `#[warn(incomplete_features)]` on by default
 
-error[E0741]: the types of const generic parameters must derive `PartialEq` and `Eq`
+error[E0741]: `C` must be annotated with `#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]` to be used as the type of a const parameter
   --> $DIR/forbid-non-structural_match-types.rs:11:19
    |
 LL | struct D<const X: C>;