diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index 9f4db270f6..c6626048dc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -2787,7 +2787,14 @@ out:
 notenough:
 	if n == nil || n.Diag == 0 {
 		if call != nil {
-			Yyerror("not enough arguments in call to %v", call)
+			// call is the expression being called, not the overall call.
+			// Method expressions have the form T.M, and the compiler has
+			// rewritten those to ONAME nodes but left T in Left.
+			if call.Op == ONAME && call.Left != nil && call.Left.Op == OTYPE {
+				Yyerror("not enough arguments in call to method expression %v", call)
+			} else {
+				Yyerror("not enough arguments in call to %v", call)
+			}
 		} else {
 			Yyerror("not enough arguments to %v", Oconv(int(op), 0))
 		}
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue8385.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue8385.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6447e9f0e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue8385.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// errorcheck
+
+// Copyright 2014 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Issue 8385: provide a more descriptive error when a method expression
+// is called without a receiver.
+
+package main
+
+type Fooer interface {
+	Foo(i, j int)
+}
+
+func f(x int) {
+}
+
+type I interface {
+	M(int)
+}
+type T struct{}
+
+func (t T) M(x int) {
+}
+
+func g() func(int)
+
+func main() {
+	Fooer.Foo(5, 6) // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to method expression Fooer.Foo"
+
+	var i I
+	var t *T
+
+	g()()    // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to g\(\)"
+	f()      // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to f"
+	i.M()    // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to i\.M"
+	I.M()    // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to method expression I\.M"
+	t.M()    // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to t\.M"
+	T.M()    // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to method expression T\.M"
+	(*T).M() // ERROR "not enough arguments in call to method expression \(\*T\)\.M"
+}