diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
index cf8825cf..e76639c6 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
@@ -1054,7 +1054,9 @@
     (for/or ([m (in-set required)])
       (and (not (set-member? actual m)) m)))
   (when missing
-    (tc-error/expr "class definition missing ~a ~a" msg missing)))
+    (tc-error/expr (~a "class definition missing ~a ~a "
+                       "that is required by the expected type")
+                   msg missing)))
 
 ;; Set<Symbol> Set<Symbol> String -> Void
 ;; check that names are absent when they should be
@@ -1073,22 +1075,17 @@
     (for/or ([m (in-set expected)])
       (and (not (set-member? actual m)) m)))
   (when missing
-    (tc-error/expr "class definition missing ~a ~a" msg missing))
+    (tc-error/expr (~a "class definition missing ~a ~a "
+                       "that is required by the expected type")
+                   msg missing))
   (define too-many
     (for/or ([m (in-set actual)])
       (and (not (set-member? expected m)) m)))
   (when too-many
-    (tc-error/expr "class definition has unexpected ~a ~a"
+    (tc-error/expr (~a "class definition contains ~a ~a "
+                       "that is not in the expected type")
                    msg too-many)))
 
-;; check-no-extra : Set<Symbol> Set<Symbol> -> Void
-;; check that the actual names don't include names not in the
-;; expected type (i.e., the names must exactly match up)
-(define (check-no-extra actual expected)
-  (unless (subset? actual expected)
-    ;; FIXME: better error reporting here
-    (tc-error/expr "class defines names not in expected type")))
-
 ;; I wish I could write this
 #;
 (module+ test
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
index c7a7cf20..15d129cd 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
@@ -179,21 +179,24 @@
     (define n% (class j% (super-new))))
 
    ;; should fail, too many methods
-   (check-err #:exn #rx"unexpected public method m"
+   (check-err
+    #:exn #rx"public method m that is not in the expected type"
     (: o% (Class))
     (define o% (class object%
                  (super-new)
                  (define/public (m) 0))))
 
    ;; same as previous
-   (check-err #:exn #rx"unexpected public method n"
+   (check-err
+    #:exn #rx"public method n that is not in the expected type"
     (: c% (Class [m (Integer -> Integer)]))
     (define c% (class object% (super-new)
                  (define/public (m x) (add1 x))
                  (define/public (n) 0))))
 
    ;; fails, too many inits
-   (check-err #:exn #rx"unexpected initialization argument x"
+   (check-err
+    #:exn #rx"initialization argument x that is not in the expected type"
     (: c% (Class))
     (define c% (class object% (super-new)
                  (init x))))
@@ -205,7 +208,8 @@
                  (init str))))
 
    ;; fails, too many fields
-   (check-err #:exn #rx"unexpected public field x"
+   (check-err
+    #:exn #rx"public field x that is not in the expected type"
     (: c% (Class (field [str String])))
     (define c% (class object% (super-new)
                  (field [str "foo"] [x 0]))))
@@ -485,7 +489,8 @@
     (define d% (class c% (super-new))))
 
    ;; fails, expected mandatory but got optional
-   (check-err #:exn #rx"unexpected optional init argument x"
+   (check-err
+    #:exn #rx"optional init argument x that is not in the expected type"
     (: c% (Class (init [x Integer])))
     (define c% (class object% (super-new)
                  (: x Integer)