diff --git a/src/pkg/html/template/escape.go b/src/pkg/html/template/escape.go
index 2f6be3b6c2..c6f723ae4a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/html/template/escape.go
+++ b/src/pkg/html/template/escape.go
@@ -486,9 +486,17 @@ func (e *escaper) escapeTree(c context, name string, line int) (context, string)
 	}
 	t := e.template(name)
 	if t == nil {
+		// Two cases: The template exists but is empty, or has never been mentioned at
+		// all. Distinguish the cases in the error messages.
+		if e.tmpl.set[name] != nil {
+			return context{
+				state: stateError,
+				err:   errorf(ErrNoSuchTemplate, line, "%q is an incomplete or empty template", name),
+			}, dname
+		}
 		return context{
 			state: stateError,
-			err:   errorf(ErrNoSuchTemplate, line, "no such template %s", name),
+			err:   errorf(ErrNoSuchTemplate, line, "no such template %q", name),
 		}, dname
 	}
 	if dname != name {
diff --git a/src/pkg/html/template/escape_test.go b/src/pkg/html/template/escape_test.go
index 7702300ffd..a57f9826b5 100644
--- a/src/pkg/html/template/escape_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/html/template/escape_test.go
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ func TestErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			`{{template "foo"}}`,
-			"z:1: no such template foo",
+			"z:1: no such template \"foo\"",
 		},
 		{
 			`<div{{template "y"}}>` +
diff --git a/src/pkg/text/template/exec.go b/src/pkg/text/template/exec.go
index ba20fff89d..acb88afee3 100644
--- a/src/pkg/text/template/exec.go
+++ b/src/pkg/text/template/exec.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (t *Template) Execute(wr io.Writer, data interface{}) (err error) {
 		vars: []variable{{"$", value}},
 	}
 	if t.Tree == nil || t.Root == nil {
-		state.errorf("must be parsed before execution")
+		state.errorf("%q is an incomplete or empty template", t.name)
 	}
 	state.walk(value, t.Root)
 	return