diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/stability.rs b/src/librustc/middle/stability.rs
index e7c25d82150..d75dc861e83 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/stability.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/stability.rs
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ impl<'a> Annotator<'a> {
                 let tag = attr.name();
                 if tag == "unstable" || tag == "stable" || tag == "deprecated" {
                     attr::mark_used(attr);
-                    self.sess.span_warn(attr.span(),
-                                        "stability attributes are deprecated \
-                                         and will soon become errors");
+                    self.sess.span_err(attr.span(),
+                                       "stability attributes may not be used outside \
+                                        of the standard library");
                 }
             }
             f(self);
diff --git a/src/librustc_data_structures/lib.rs b/src/librustc_data_structures/lib.rs
index dc376deebc1..1f8f7694ff9 100644
--- a/src/librustc_data_structures/lib.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_data_structures/lib.rs
@@ -22,11 +22,12 @@
 #![unstable(feature = "rustc_private")]
 #![crate_type = "dylib"]
 #![crate_type = "rlib"]
+#![staged_api]
 #![doc(html_logo_url = "http://www.rust-lang.org/logos/rust-logo-128x128-blk-v2.png",
       html_favicon_url = "http://www.rust-lang.org/favicon.ico",
       html_root_url = "http://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/")]
 
-#![feature(rustc_private)]
+#![feature(rustc_private, staged_api)]
 #![cfg_attr(test, feature(test))]
 
 #[macro_use] extern crate log;
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/stability-attribute-non-staged.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/stability-attribute-non-staged.rs
index db16e7c0138..b0efdfd1818 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/stability-attribute-non-staged.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/stability-attribute-non-staged.rs
@@ -8,11 +8,7 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-// These two generate an error to satisfy the compile-fail test
-#![deny(warnings)]
-#![feature(blah)] //~ ERROR
-
-#[unstable] //~ WARNING: stability attributes are deprecated
-#[stable] //~ WARNING: stability attributes are deprecated
-#[deprecated] //~ WARNING: stability attributes are deprecated
+#[unstable] //~ ERROR: stability attributes may not be used
+#[stable] //~ ERROR: stability attributes may not be used
+#[deprecated] //~ ERROR: stability attributes may not be used
 fn main() { }