diff --git a/mercurial/revset.py b/mercurial/revset.py
--- a/mercurial/revset.py
+++ b/mercurial/revset.py
@@ -2154,7 +2154,8 @@ class revsetalias(object):
             # Check for placeholder injection
             _checkaliasarg(self.replacement, self.args)
         except error.ParseError, inst:
-            self.error = parseerrordetail(inst)
+            self.error = _('failed to parse the definition of revset alias'
+                           ' "%s": %s') % (self.name, parseerrordetail(inst))
 
 def _getalias(aliases, tree):
     """If tree looks like an unexpanded alias, return it. Return None
@@ -2197,8 +2198,7 @@ def _expandaliases(aliases, tree, expand
     alias = _getalias(aliases, tree)
     if alias is not None:
         if alias.error:
-            raise util.Abort(_('failed to parse revset alias "%s": %s') %
-                             (alias.name, alias.error))
+            raise util.Abort(alias.error)
         if alias in expanding:
             raise error.ParseError(_('infinite expansion of revset alias "%s" '
                                      'detected') % alias.name)
@@ -2231,9 +2231,7 @@ def findaliases(ui, tree, showwarning=No
         # warn about problematic (but not referred) aliases
         for name, alias in sorted(aliases.iteritems()):
             if alias.error and not alias.warned:
-                msg = _('failed to parse revset alias "%s": %s'
-                        ) % (name, alias.error)
-                showwarning(_('warning: %s\n') % (msg))
+                showwarning(_('warning: %s\n') % (alias.error))
                 alias.warned = True
     return tree
 
diff --git a/tests/test-revset.t b/tests/test-revset.t
--- a/tests/test-revset.t
+++ b/tests/test-revset.t
@@ -985,12 +985,12 @@ far away.
     (range
       ('symbol', '2')
       ('symbol', '5')))
-  abort: failed to parse revset alias "injectparamasstring2": not a function: _aliasarg
+  abort: failed to parse the definition of revset alias "injectparamasstring2": not a function: _aliasarg
   [255]
   $ hg debugrevspec --debug --config revsetalias.anotherbadone='branch(' "tip"
   ('symbol', 'tip')
-  warning: failed to parse revset alias "anotherbadone": at 7: not a prefix: end
-  warning: failed to parse revset alias "injectparamasstring2": not a function: _aliasarg
+  warning: failed to parse the definition of revset alias "anotherbadone": at 7: not a prefix: end
+  warning: failed to parse the definition of revset alias "injectparamasstring2": not a function: _aliasarg
   9
   >>> data = file('.hg/hgrc', 'rb').read()
   >>> file('.hg/hgrc', 'wb').write(data.replace('_aliasarg', ''))