diff --git a/src/pkg/fmt/print.go b/src/pkg/fmt/print.go
index 8fcde73fe2..0f3dd44bf0 100644
--- a/src/pkg/fmt/print.go
+++ b/src/pkg/fmt/print.go
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ func Sprintf(format string, a ...interface{}) string {
 	return s
 }
 
+// Errorf formats according to a format specifier and returns the string 
+// converted to an os.ErrorString, which satisfies the os.Error interface.
+func Errorf(format string, a ...interface{}) os.Error {
+	return os.ErrorString(Sprintf(format, a...))
+}
+
 // These routines do not take a format string
 
 // Fprint formats using the default formats for its operands and writes to w.