diff --git a/src/librustc/lint/context.rs b/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
index 2fc2448dd0c14..da6e8936eed5d 100644
--- a/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ pub fn raw_struct_lint<'a>(sess: &'a Session,
     if let Some(future_incompatible) = lints.future_incompatible(LintId::of(lint)) {
         let explanation = format!("this was previously accepted by the compiler \
                                    but is being phased out, \
-                                   and will become a HARD ERROR in a future release!");
+                                   and will become a hard error in a future release!");
         let citation = format!("for more information, see {}",
                                future_incompatible.reference);
         if let Some(sp) = span {
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/empty-struct-unit-pat.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/empty-struct-unit-pat.rs
index d90e9c40ea42e..cffd9fd9b4938 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/empty-struct-unit-pat.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/empty-struct-unit-pat.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ fn main() { //~ ERROR: compilation successful
     // }
     match e1 {
         Empty1(..) => () //~ WARN `Empty1` does not name a tuple variant or a tuple struct
-            //~^ WARN HARD ERROR
+            //~^ WARN hard error
     }
     // Rejected by parser as yet
     // match e2 {
@@ -40,6 +40,6 @@ fn main() { //~ ERROR: compilation successful
     // }
     match e2 {
         E::Empty2(..) => () //~ WARN `E::Empty2` does not name a tuple variant or a tuple struct
-            //~^ WARN HARD ERROR
+            //~^ WARN hard error
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/private-in-public-warn.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/private-in-public-warn.rs
index 3af6bad1d6161..9aab06ce14ee1 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/private-in-public-warn.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/private-in-public-warn.rs
@@ -26,34 +26,34 @@ mod types {
     }
 
     pub type Alias = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub enum E {
         V1(Priv), //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         V2 { field: Priv }, //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     pub trait Tr {
         const C: Priv = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         type Alias = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         fn f1(arg: Priv) {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         fn f2() -> Priv { panic!() } //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     extern {
         pub static ES: Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         pub fn ef1(arg: Priv); //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         pub fn ef2() -> Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     impl PubTr for Pub {
         type Alias = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
 }
 
@@ -64,21 +64,21 @@ mod traits {
 
     pub type Alias<T: PrivTr> = T; //~ WARN private trait in public interface
     //~^ WARN trait bounds are not (yet) enforced in type definitions
-    //~| WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~| WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr1: PrivTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr2<T: PrivTr> {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr3 {
         type Alias: PrivTr; //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
         fn f<T: PrivTr>(arg: T) {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     impl<T: PrivTr> Pub<T> {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     impl<T: PrivTr> PubTr for Pub<T> {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod traits_where {
@@ -87,17 +87,17 @@ mod traits_where {
     pub trait PubTr {}
 
     pub type Alias<T> where T: PrivTr = T; //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr2<T> where T: PrivTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr3 {
         fn f<T>(arg: T) where T: PrivTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     impl<T> Pub<T> where T: PrivTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     impl<T> PubTr for Pub<T> where T: PrivTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod generics {
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ mod generics {
     pub trait PubTr<T> {}
 
     pub trait Tr1: PrivTr<Pub> {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr2: PubTr<Priv> {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr3: PubTr<[Priv; 1]> {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr4: PubTr<Pub<Priv>> {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod impls {
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ mod impls {
     }
     impl PubTr for Pub {
         type Alias = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
 }
 
@@ -207,11 +207,11 @@ mod aliases_pub {
     pub trait Tr1: PrivUseAliasTr {} // OK
     // This should be OK, if type aliases are substituted
     pub trait Tr2: PrivUseAliasTr<PrivAlias> {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
 
     impl PrivAlias {
         pub fn f(arg: Priv) {} //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     // This doesn't even parse
     // impl <Priv as PrivTr>::AssocAlias {
@@ -219,15 +219,15 @@ mod aliases_pub {
     // }
     impl PrivUseAliasTr for PrivUseAlias {
         type Check = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     impl PrivUseAliasTr for PrivAlias {
         type Check = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
     impl PrivUseAliasTr for <Priv as PrivTr>::AssocAlias {
         type Check = Priv; //~ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     }
 }
 
@@ -250,11 +250,11 @@ mod aliases_priv {
     impl PrivTr for Priv {}
 
     pub trait Tr1: PrivUseAliasTr {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
-        //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~^ WARNING hard error
     pub trait Tr2: PrivUseAliasTr<PrivAlias> {} //~ WARN private trait in public interface
      //~^ WARN private type in public interface
-        //~| WARNING HARD ERROR
-        //~| WARNING HARD ERROR
+        //~| WARNING hard error
+        //~| WARNING hard error
 
     impl PrivUseAlias {
         pub fn f(arg: Priv) {} // OK
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/private-variant-reexport.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/private-variant-reexport.rs
index 0e8f92de6589e..06f08dc13c6b4 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/private-variant-reexport.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/private-variant-reexport.rs
@@ -13,22 +13,22 @@
 
 mod m1 {
     pub use ::E::V; //~ WARN variant `V` is private, and cannot be reexported
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod m2 {
     pub use ::E::{V}; //~ WARN variant `V` is private, and cannot be reexported
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod m3 {
     pub use ::E::V::{self}; //~ WARN variant `V` is private, and cannot be reexported
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 mod m4 {
     pub use ::E::*; //~ WARN variant `V` is private, and cannot be reexported
-    //~^ WARNING HARD ERROR
+    //~^ WARNING hard error
 }
 
 enum E { V }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/type-parameter-invalid-lint.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/type-parameter-invalid-lint.rs
index af97156a77134..9291329fac37f 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/type-parameter-invalid-lint.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/type-parameter-invalid-lint.rs
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@
 
 fn avg<T=i32>(_: T) {}
 //~^ ERROR defaults for type parameters are only allowed
-//~| WARNING HARD ERROR
+//~| WARNING hard error
 fn main() {}