1 files changed, 5 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/utf8.c b/utf8.c
index 7c16826979..85a22a1ffd 100644
--- a/utf8.c
+++ b/utf8.c
@@ -1543,8 +1543,12 @@ Perl_swash_init(pTHX_ char* pkg, char* name, SV *listsv, I32 minbits, I32 none)
 	Copy(pv, PL_tokenbuf, len+1, char);
 	PL_curcop->op_private = PL_hints;
     }
-    if (!SvROK(retval) || SvTYPE(SvRV(retval)) != SVt_PVHV)
+    if (!SvROK(retval) || SvTYPE(SvRV(retval)) != SVt_PVHV) {
+        if (SvPOK(retval))
+	    Perl_croak(aTHX_ "Can't find Unicode property definition \"%s\"",
+		       SvPV_nolen(retval));
 	Perl_croak(aTHX_ "SWASHNEW didn't return an HV ref");
+    }
     return retval;
 }