diff --git a/IkiWiki.pm b/IkiWiki.pm
index 7e64518b3..0440f4020 100644
--- a/IkiWiki.pm
+++ b/IkiWiki.pm
@@ -1262,6 +1262,7 @@ sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
 		$code=0;
 	}
 
+	no warnings;
 	return eval 'sub { my $page=shift; '.$code.' }';
 } #}}}
 
@@ -1276,7 +1277,7 @@ sub pagespec_match ($$;@) { #{{{
 	}
 
 	my $sub=pagespec_translate($spec);
-	return IkiWiki::FailReason->new('syntax error') if $@;
+	return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("syntax error in pagespec \"$spec\"") if $@;
 	return $sub->($page, @params);
 } #}}}
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c4919584d..fcb1598f7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ ikiwiki (2.47) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Perls older than 5.10 need to use the old method of decoding utf-8 in CGI
     values. Neither method will work for all versions of perl, so check
     version number at runtime.
+  * Avoid unsightly warning message when evaling broken pagespecs.
+  * Improve error message when a pagespec fails to parse.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Tue, 13 May 2008 12:30:18 -0400