diff --git a/gcc/ChangeLog b/gcc/ChangeLog
index 9ba828fd45e..d9d27245e38 100644
--- a/gcc/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2010-12-09  Nathan Froyd  <froydnj@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* c-typeck.c (build_indirect_ref): Call invalid_indirection_error.
+
 2010-12-09  Joseph Myers  <joseph@codesourcery.com>
 
 	* doc/extend.texi (Attribute Syntax): Correct description of
diff --git a/gcc/c-family/ChangeLog b/gcc/c-family/ChangeLog
index 2ea3960170f..495816b6a00 100644
--- a/gcc/c-family/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/c-family/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2010-12-09  Nathan Froyd  <froydnj@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* c-common.h (invalid_indirection_error): Declare.
+	* c-common.c (invalid_indirection_error): Define.
+
 2010-12-03  Richard Guenther  <rguenther@suse.de>
 
 	PR c/46745
diff --git a/gcc/c-family/c-common.c b/gcc/c-family/c-common.c
index 7a57838a857..8d0fcc388fe 100644
--- a/gcc/c-family/c-common.c
+++ b/gcc/c-family/c-common.c
@@ -8585,6 +8585,43 @@ lvalue_error (enum lvalue_use use)
       gcc_unreachable ();
     }
 }
+
+/* Print an error message for an invalid indirection of type TYPE.
+   ERRSTRING is the name of the operator for the indirection.  */
+
+void
+invalid_indirection_error (location_t loc, tree type, ref_operator errstring)
+{
+  switch (errstring)
+    {
+    case RO_NULL:
+      gcc_assert (c_dialect_cxx ());
+      error_at (loc, "invalid type argument (have %qT)", type);
+      break;
+    case RO_ARRAY_INDEXING:
+      error_at (loc,
+		"invalid type argument of array indexing (have %qT)",
+		type);
+      break;
+    case RO_UNARY_STAR:
+      error_at (loc,
+		"invalid type argument of unary %<*%> (have %qT)",
+		type);
+      break;
+    case RO_ARROW:
+      error_at (loc,
+		"invalid type argument of %<->%> (have %qT)",
+		type);
+      break;
+    case RO_IMPLICIT_CONVERSION:
+      error_at (loc,
+		"invalid type argument of implicit conversion (have %qT)",
+		type);
+      break;
+    default:
+      gcc_unreachable ();
+    }
+}
 
 /* *PTYPE is an incomplete array.  Complete it with a domain based on
    INITIAL_VALUE.  If INITIAL_VALUE is not present, use 1 if DO_DEFAULT
diff --git a/gcc/c-family/c-common.h b/gcc/c-family/c-common.h
index 928e5021d23..b6f8d398657 100644
--- a/gcc/c-family/c-common.h
+++ b/gcc/c-family/c-common.h
@@ -929,6 +929,7 @@ enum lvalue_use {
 };
 
 extern void lvalue_error (enum lvalue_use);
+extern void invalid_indirection_error (location_t, tree, ref_operator);
 
 extern int complete_array_type (tree *, tree, bool);
 
diff --git a/gcc/c-typeck.c b/gcc/c-typeck.c
index 7bba44ed3ef..cbe9f209220 100644
--- a/gcc/c-typeck.c
+++ b/gcc/c-typeck.c
@@ -2267,26 +2267,8 @@ build_indirect_ref (location_t loc, tree ptr, ref_operator errstring)
 	}
     }
   else if (TREE_CODE (pointer) != ERROR_MARK)
-    switch (errstring)
-      {
-         case RO_ARRAY_INDEXING:
-           error_at (loc,
-                     "invalid type argument of array indexing (have %qT)",
-                     type);
-           break;
-         case RO_UNARY_STAR:
-           error_at (loc,
-                     "invalid type argument of unary %<*%> (have %qT)",
-                     type);
-           break;
-         case RO_ARROW:
-           error_at (loc,
-                     "invalid type argument of %<->%> (have %qT)",
-                     type);
-           break;
-         default:
-           gcc_unreachable ();
-      }
+    invalid_indirection_error (loc, type, errstring);
+
   return error_mark_node;
 }
 
diff --git a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
index 3c14d737d2b..ae7d057a11b 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2010-12-09  Nathan Froyd  <froydnj@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* typeck.c (cp_build_indirect_ref): Call invalid_indirection_error.
+
 2010-12-09  Nathan Froyd  <froydnj@codesourcery.com>
 
 	* typeck.c (composite_pointer_error): New function.
diff --git a/gcc/cp/typeck.c b/gcc/cp/typeck.c
index a4bbd4eb137..f055bbce2b1 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/typeck.c
+++ b/gcc/cp/typeck.c
@@ -2776,23 +2776,8 @@ cp_build_indirect_ref (tree ptr, ref_operator errorstring,
            gcc_unreachable ();
       }
   else if (pointer != error_mark_node)
-    switch (errorstring)
-      {
-         case RO_NULL:
-           error ("invalid type argument");
-           break;
-         case RO_ARRAY_INDEXING:
-           error ("invalid type argument of array indexing");
-           break;
-         case RO_UNARY_STAR:
-           error ("invalid type argument of unary %<*%>");
-           break;
-         case RO_IMPLICIT_CONVERSION:
-           error ("invalid type argument of implicit conversion");
-           break;
-         default:
-           gcc_unreachable ();
-      }
+    invalid_indirection_error (input_location, type, errorstring);
+
   return error_mark_node;
 }