diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/Makefile b/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
index 16bfc66398..0ca9e9d28e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/Makefile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ $(LIB): $(OFILES)
 $(OFILES): $(HFILES)
 
 y.tab.h: $(YFILES)
-	bison -v -y $(YFLAGS) $(YFILES)
+	LANG=C bison -v -y $(YFLAGS) $(YFILES)
 
 y.tab.c: y.tab.h
 	test -f y.tab.c && touch y.tab.c
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/go.errors b/src/cmd/gc/go.errors
index 215f28c5a2..3cb718adb1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/go.errors
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/go.errors
@@ -15,28 +15,28 @@ static struct {
 	// by that token list.
 	
 	% loadsys package LIMPORT '(' LLITERAL import_package import_there ','
-	"unexpected , during import block",
+	"unexpected comma during import block",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LIF if_header ';'
-	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before {",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LSWITCH if_header ';'
-	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before {",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LFOR for_header ';'
-	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before {",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' LFOR ';' LBODY
-	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before {",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' ';' '{'
-	"unexpected ; or newline before {",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before {",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LTYPE LNAME ';'
-	"unexpected ; or newline in type declaration",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline in type declaration",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LFUNC LNAME '(' ')' '{' if_stmt ';' LELSE
-	"unexpected ; or newline before else",
+	"unexpected semicolon or newline before else",
 	
 	% loadsys package imports LTYPE LNAME LINTERFACE '{' LNAME ',' LNAME
 	"name list not allowed in interface type",
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
index 4d74bb9631..175d7a3efc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
@@ -1523,6 +1523,10 @@ struct
 	"LRSH",	">>",
 	"LOROR",	"||",
 	"LNE",	"!=",
+	
+	// spell out to avoid confusion with punctuation in error messages
+	"';'",	"semicolon or newline",
+	"','",	"comma",
 };
 
 void
@@ -1535,21 +1539,21 @@ yytinit(void)
 	for(i=0; yytname[i] != nil; i++) {
 		s = yytname[i];
 		
+		// apply yytfix if possible
+		for(j=0; j<nelem(yytfix); j++) {
+			if(strcmp(s, yytfix[j].have) == 0) {
+				yytname[i] = yytfix[j].want;
+				goto loop;
+			}
+		}
+
 		// turn 'x' into x.
 		if(s[0] == '\'') {
 			t = strdup(s+1);
 			t[strlen(t)-1] = '\0';
 			yytname[i] = t;
-			continue;
-		}
-		
-		// apply yytfix to the rest
-		for(j=0; j<nelem(yytfix); j++) {
-			if(strcmp(s, yytfix[j].have) == 0) {
-				yytname[i] = yytfix[j].want;
-				break;
-			}
 		}
+	loop:;
 	}		
 }
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/import.go b/test/syntax/import.go
index 90e7df007e..dd1f261344 100644
--- a/test/syntax/import.go
+++ b/test/syntax/import.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"io",	// ERROR "unexpected ,"
+	"io",	// ERROR "unexpected comma"
 	"os"
 )
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi1.go b/test/syntax/semi1.go
index c805bb0064..5ec776bba6 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi1.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi1.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 package main
 
 func main() {
-	if x; y	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	if x; y	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before {"
 	{
 		z
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi2.go b/test/syntax/semi2.go
index 237fac8f3b..14800a33e7 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi2.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi2.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 package main
 
 func main() {
-	switch x; y	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	switch x; y	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before {"
 	{
 		z
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi3.go b/test/syntax/semi3.go
index 2dbcb59843..d8e037fdc0 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi3.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi3.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 package main
 
 func main() {
-	for x; y; z	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	for x; y; z	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before {"
 	{
 		z
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi4.go b/test/syntax/semi4.go
index 2268cf75af..81134c19b4 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi4.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi4.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ package main
 
 func main() {
 	for x
-	{	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+	{	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before {"
 		z
 
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi5.go b/test/syntax/semi5.go
index 7f907fb8f8..0ba4df8d6d 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi5.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi5.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 package main
 
 func main()
-{	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before {"
+{	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before {"
 
 
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi6.go b/test/syntax/semi6.go
index 75de3e0a15..b6279ed307 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi6.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi6.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 package main
 
-type T	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline in type declaration"
+type T	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline in type declaration"
 {
 
 
diff --git a/test/syntax/semi7.go b/test/syntax/semi7.go
index 4589043575..a4271ddc5c 100644
--- a/test/syntax/semi7.go
+++ b/test/syntax/semi7.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ package main
 
 func main() {
 	if x { }
-	else { }	// ERROR "unexpected ; or newline before else"
+	else { }	// ERROR "unexpected semicolon or newline before else"
 }