diff --git a/src/Sema.zig b/src/Sema.zig
index 0288ff8132..36538ba8f8 100644
--- a/src/Sema.zig
+++ b/src/Sema.zig
@@ -3401,8 +3401,8 @@ fn indexablePtrLen(
 ) CompileError!Air.Inst.Ref {
     const object_ty = sema.typeOf(object);
     const is_pointer_to = object_ty.isSinglePointer();
-    const array_ty = if (is_pointer_to) object_ty.childType() else object_ty;
-    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, array_ty);
+    const indexable_ty = if (is_pointer_to) object_ty.childType() else object_ty;
+    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, indexable_ty);
     return sema.fieldVal(block, src, object, "len", src);
 }
 
@@ -3413,7 +3413,7 @@ fn indexablePtrLenOrNone(
     object: Air.Inst.Ref,
 ) CompileError!Air.Inst.Ref {
     const object_ty = sema.typeOf(object);
-    const array_ty = t: {
+    const indexable_ty = t: {
         const ptr_size = object_ty.ptrSizeOrNull() orelse break :t object_ty;
         break :t switch (ptr_size) {
             .Many => return .none,
@@ -3421,7 +3421,7 @@ fn indexablePtrLenOrNone(
             else => object_ty,
         };
     };
-    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, array_ty);
+    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, indexable_ty);
     return sema.fieldVal(block, src, object, "len", src);
 }
 
@@ -3991,7 +3991,16 @@ fn zirForLen(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, inst: Zir.Inst.Index) CompileError!Air.
             .input_index = i,
         } };
         const arg_len_uncoerced = if (is_int) object else l: {
-            try checkIndexable(sema, block, arg_src, object_ty);
+            if (!object_ty.isIndexable()) {
+                // Instead of using checkIndexable we customize this error.
+                const msg = msg: {
+                    const msg = try sema.errMsg(block, arg_src, "type '{}' is not indexable and not a range", .{object_ty.fmt(sema.mod)});
+                    errdefer msg.destroy(sema.gpa);
+                    try sema.errNote(block, arg_src, msg, "for loop operand must be a range, array, slice, tuple, or vector", .{});
+                    break :msg msg;
+                };
+                return sema.failWithOwnedErrorMsg(msg);
+            }
             if (!object_ty.indexableHasLen()) continue;
 
             break :l try sema.fieldVal(block, arg_src, object, "len", arg_src);
@@ -24767,9 +24776,7 @@ fn elemPtr(
         .Pointer => indexable_ptr_ty.elemType(),
         else => return sema.fail(block, indexable_ptr_src, "expected pointer, found '{}'", .{indexable_ptr_ty.fmt(sema.mod)}),
     };
-    if (!indexable_ty.isIndexable()) {
-        return sema.fail(block, src, "element access of non-indexable type '{}'", .{indexable_ty.fmt(sema.mod)});
-    }
+    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, indexable_ty);
 
     switch (indexable_ty.zigTypeTag()) {
         .Array, .Vector => return sema.elemPtrArray(block, src, indexable_ptr_src, indexable_ptr, elem_index_src, elem_index, init, oob_safety),
@@ -24801,9 +24808,7 @@ fn elemPtrOneLayerOnly(
     const indexable_ty = sema.typeOf(indexable);
     const target = sema.mod.getTarget();
 
-    if (!indexable_ty.isIndexable()) {
-        return sema.fail(block, src, "element access of non-indexable type '{}'", .{indexable_ty.fmt(sema.mod)});
-    }
+    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, indexable_ty);
 
     switch (indexable_ty.ptrSize()) {
         .Slice => return sema.elemPtrSlice(block, src, indexable_src, indexable, elem_index_src, elem_index, oob_safety),
@@ -24824,7 +24829,7 @@ fn elemPtrOneLayerOnly(
             return block.addPtrElemPtr(indexable, elem_index, result_ty);
         },
         .One => {
-            assert(indexable_ty.childType().zigTypeTag() == .Array); // Guaranteed by isIndexable
+            assert(indexable_ty.childType().zigTypeTag() == .Array); // Guaranteed by checkIndexable
             return sema.elemPtrArray(block, src, indexable_src, indexable, elem_index_src, elem_index, init, oob_safety);
         },
     }
@@ -24843,9 +24848,7 @@ fn elemVal(
     const indexable_ty = sema.typeOf(indexable);
     const target = sema.mod.getTarget();
 
-    if (!indexable_ty.isIndexable()) {
-        return sema.fail(block, src, "element access of non-indexable type '{}'", .{indexable_ty.fmt(sema.mod)});
-    }
+    try checkIndexable(sema, block, src, indexable_ty);
 
     // TODO in case of a vector of pointers, we need to detect whether the element
     // index is a scalar or vector instead of unconditionally casting to usize.
@@ -24873,7 +24876,7 @@ fn elemVal(
                 return block.addBinOp(.ptr_elem_val, indexable, elem_index);
             },
             .One => {
-                assert(indexable_ty.childType().zigTypeTag() == .Array); // Guaranteed by isIndexable
+                assert(indexable_ty.childType().zigTypeTag() == .Array); // Guaranteed by checkIndexable
                 const elem_ptr = try sema.elemPtr(block, indexable_src, indexable, elem_index, elem_index_src, false, oob_safety);
                 return sema.analyzeLoad(block, indexable_src, elem_ptr, elem_index_src);
             },
@@ -30997,23 +31000,12 @@ fn checkBackingIntType(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, src: LazySrcLoc, backing_int_
     }
 }
 
-fn checkIndexable(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, src: LazySrcLoc, array_ty: Type) !void {
-    if (!array_ty.isIndexable()) {
+fn checkIndexable(sema: *Sema, block: *Block, src: LazySrcLoc, ty: Type) !void {
+    if (!ty.isIndexable()) {
         const msg = msg: {
-            const msg = try sema.errMsg(
-                block,
-                src,
-                "type '{}' does not support indexing",
-                .{array_ty.fmt(sema.mod)},
-            );
+            const msg = try sema.errMsg(block, src, "type '{}' does not support indexing", .{ty.fmt(sema.mod)});
             errdefer msg.destroy(sema.gpa);
-            try sema.errNote(
-                block,
-                src,
-                msg,
-                "for loop operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector",
-                .{},
-            );
+            try sema.errNote(block, src, msg, "operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector", .{});
             break :msg msg;
         };
         return sema.failWithOwnedErrorMsg(msg);
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_non_array.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_non_array.zig
index 06fa1569e6..0f06bae1dd 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_non_array.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_non_array.zig
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 export fn f() void {
-    var bad : bool = undefined;
+    var bad: bool = undefined;
     bad[0] = bad[0];
 }
 export fn g() void {
-    var bad : bool = undefined;
+    var bad: bool = undefined;
     _ = bad[0];
 }
 
@@ -11,5 +11,7 @@ export fn g() void {
 // backend=stage2
 // target=native
 //
-// :3:8: error: element access of non-indexable type 'bool'
-// :7:12: error: element access of non-indexable type 'bool'
+// :3:8: error: type 'bool' does not support indexing
+// :3:8: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
+// :7:12: error: type 'bool' does not support indexing
+// :7:12: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_type.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_type.zig
index d38a13b2fa..1e66ca3776 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_type.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/array_access_of_type.zig
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ export fn foo() void {
 // backend=stage2
 // target=native
 //
-// :2:14: error: element access of non-indexable type 'type'
+// :2:14: error: type 'type' does not support indexing
+// :2:14: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/for.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/for.zig
index 5bd3aa0c64..435bb68607 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/for.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/for.zig
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ export fn d() void {
 // :2:5: error: non-matching for loop lengths
 // :2:11: note: length 10 here
 // :2:19: note: length 11 here
-// :9:14: error: type 'bool' does not support indexing
-// :9:14: note: for loop operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
+// :9:14: error: type 'bool' is not indexable and not a range
+// :9:14: note: for loop operand must be a range, array, slice, tuple, or vector
 // :15:16: error: pointer capture of non pointer type '[10]u8'
 // :15:10: note: consider using '&' here
 // :22:5: error: unbounded for loop
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/incorrect_type_to_memset_memcpy.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/incorrect_type_to_memset_memcpy.zig
index 9243e414a4..2a4990b1ec 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/incorrect_type_to_memset_memcpy.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/incorrect_type_to_memset_memcpy.zig
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ pub export fn non_matching_lengths() void {
 // :5:18: note: destination type '[*]u8' provides no length
 // :5:24: note: source type '[*]align(4) const u8' provides no length
 // :10:13: error: type 'u8' does not support indexing
-// :10:13: note: for loop operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
+// :10:13: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
 // :15:13: error: type '*u8' does not support indexing
-// :15:13: note: for loop operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
+// :15:13: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
 // :20:5: error: non-matching @memcpy lengths
 // :20:13: note: length 6 here
 // :20:20: note: length 5 here
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_non-tuple_struct.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_non-tuple_struct.zig
index 912ee689d1..1691faaae0 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_non-tuple_struct.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_non-tuple_struct.zig
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ export fn a() void {
 // backend=stage2
 // target=native
 //
-// :4:6: error: element access of non-indexable type 'tmp.a.S'
+// :4:6: error: type 'tmp.a.S' does not support indexing
+// :4:6: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector
diff --git a/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_single-item_pointer.zig b/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_single-item_pointer.zig
index efd063817c..41b94c8f26 100644
--- a/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_single-item_pointer.zig
+++ b/test/cases/compile_errors/indexing_single-item_pointer.zig
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ export fn entry(ptr: *i32) i32 {
 // backend=stage2
 // target=native
 //
-// :2:15: error: element access of non-indexable type '*i32'
+// :2:15: error: type '*i32' does not support indexing
+// :2:15: note: operand must be an array, slice, tuple, or vector