diff --git a/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/private/substitute.rkt b/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/private/substitute.rkt
index 0cdd124375..119be6d5d3 100644
--- a/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/private/substitute.rkt
+++ b/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/private/substitute.rkt
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ A HeadGuide (HG) is one of:
        (let ([last-upto
               (for/fold ([last 1]) ([upto (in-list uptos)])
                 (unless (<= upto lenv*-len)
-                  (error 'template "internal error: upto is to big"))
+                  (error 'template "internal error: upto is too big"))
                 (unless (>= upto last)
                   (error 'template "internal error: uptos decreased: ~e" uptos))
                 upto)])
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ A HeadGuide (HG) is one of:
     (for ([v (in-vector lenv)])
       (unless (= len0 (length v))
         (raise-syntax-error 'template
-                            "incomplatible ellipsis match counts for template"
+                            "incompatible ellipsis match counts for template"
                             stx)))))
 
 ;; ----
diff --git a/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/template.rkt b/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/template.rkt
index 136145da76..b4b8b61d36 100644
--- a/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/template.rkt
+++ b/collects/syntax/parse/experimental/template.rkt
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ instead of integers and integer vectors.
 |#
 
 (begin-for-syntax
- (struct pvar (sm dd) #:prefab))
+ (struct pvar (sm dd) #:prefab)
+ (define (pvar/dd=0? x) (and (pvar? x) (equal? (pvar-dd x) 0))))
 
 ;; ============================================================
 
@@ -347,8 +348,11 @@ instead of integers and integer vectors.
                       (parse-h #'head (+ depth nesting) esc?)]
                      [(tdrivers tguide tprops-guide)
                       (parse-t tail depth esc?)])
-          (unless (positive? (set-count hdrivers))
+          (when (set-empty? hdrivers)
             (wrong-syntax #'head "no pattern variables in term before ellipsis"))
+          (when (set-empty? (set-filter hdrivers pvar/dd=0?))
+            ;; FIXME: improve error message?
+            (wrong-syntax #'DOTS "too many ellipses in template"))
           (wrap-props t
                       (set-union hdrivers tdrivers)
                       ;; pre-guide hdrivers is (listof (setof pvar))
diff --git a/collects/tests/stxparse/test-template.rkt b/collects/tests/stxparse/test-template.rkt
index c18b3db740..d83a09be05 100644
--- a/collects/tests/stxparse/test-template.rkt
+++ b/collects/tests/stxparse/test-template.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require (for-syntax racket/base)
          rackunit
+         (only-in "setup.rkt" convert-syntax-error tcerr)
          racket/syntax
          syntax/parse
          syntax/parse/experimental/template)
@@ -11,9 +12,14 @@
   (syntax-case stx ()
     [(tc expr expected)
      #`(test-equal? (format "line ~s" #,(syntax-line stx))
-                    (syntax->datum expr)
+                    (syntax->datum (convert-syntax-error expr))
                     expected)]))
 
+(define-syntax (terx stx)
+  (syntax-case stx ()
+    [(terx expr err-rx ...)
+     #`(tcerr (format "line ~s" #,(syntax-line stx)) expr err-rx ...)]))
+
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
 ;; Common pattern variable definitions
@@ -152,3 +158,31 @@
     '((x abc-x) (y abc-y) (z abc-z)))
 (tc (template ((xx (join aa xx)) ...))
     '((x ax) (y by) (z cz)))
+
+
+;; ============================================================
+
+;; Error tests
+
+(terx (template (1 ...))
+      #rx"no pattern variables in term before ellipsis")
+
+(terx (template (uu ...))
+      #rx"too many ellipses in template")
+
+(terx (template aa)
+      #rx"pattern variable used at wrong ellipsis depth")
+
+(terx (template (?@))
+      #rx"illegal use")
+
+(terx (template ((?@ . uu)))
+      #rx"splicing template did not produce a syntax list")
+
+(define-template-metafunction (bad-mf stx) 123)
+
+(terx (template (bad-mf))
+      #rx"result of metafunction was not syntax")
+
+(terx (with-syntax ([(bb ...) #'(y z)]) (template ((aa bb) ...)))
+      #rx"incompatible ellipsis match counts")