diff --git a/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes.rs b/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes.rs
index 6f65d386f0d..65999ba707c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes.rs
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ E0493: include_str!("./error_codes/E0493.md"),
 E0495: include_str!("./error_codes/E0495.md"),
 E0496: include_str!("./error_codes/E0496.md"),
 E0497: include_str!("./error_codes/E0497.md"),
+E0498: include_str!("./error_codes/E0498.md"),
 E0499: include_str!("./error_codes/E0499.md"),
 E0500: include_str!("./error_codes/E0500.md"),
 E0501: include_str!("./error_codes/E0501.md"),
@@ -604,7 +605,6 @@ E0783: include_str!("./error_codes/E0783.md"),
 //  E0488, // lifetime of variable does not enclose its declaration
 //  E0489, // type/lifetime parameter not in scope here
     E0490, // a value of type `..` is borrowed for too long
-    E0498,  // malformed plugin attribute
     E0514, // metadata version mismatch
     E0519, // local crate and dependency have same (crate-name, disambiguator)
     // two dependencies have same (crate-name, disambiguator) but different SVH
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes/E0498.md b/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes/E0498.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c9ea4a7947f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/rustc_error_codes/src/error_codes/E0498.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+The `plugin` attribute was malformed.
+
+Erroneous code example:
+
+```compile_fail,E0498
+#![feature(plugin)]
+#![plugin(foo(args))] // error: invalid argument
+#![plugin(bar="test")] // error: invalid argument
+```
+
+The `#[plugin]` attribute should take a single argument: the name of the plugin.
+
+For example, for the plugin `foo`:
+
+```ignore (requires external plugin crate)
+#![feature(plugin)]
+#![plugin(foo)] // ok!
+```
+
+See the [`plugin` feature] section of the Unstable book for more details.
+
+[`plugin` feature]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/unstable-book/language-features/plugin.html
diff --git a/src/test/ui-fulldeps/plugin-args.stderr b/src/test/ui-fulldeps/plugin-args.stderr
index 2e255f185e2..177f33005c8 100644
--- a/src/test/ui-fulldeps/plugin-args.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui-fulldeps/plugin-args.stderr
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ LL | #![plugin(empty_plugin(args))]
 
 error: aborting due to previous error; 1 warning emitted
 
+For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0498`.
diff --git a/src/test/ui/malformed/malformed-plugin-3.stderr b/src/test/ui/malformed/malformed-plugin-3.stderr
index 11abdb16e0b..64cb429ea74 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/malformed/malformed-plugin-3.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/malformed/malformed-plugin-3.stderr
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ LL | #![plugin(foo="bleh")]
 
 error: aborting due to previous error; 1 warning emitted
 
+For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0498`.