diff --git a/src/text/template/funcs.go b/src/text/template/funcs.go
index 7d63cf8b7bb6db..4d733135fe5a85 100644
--- a/src/text/template/funcs.go
+++ b/src/text/template/funcs.go
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ func not(arg reflect.Value) bool {
 
 var (
 	errBadComparisonType = errors.New("invalid type for comparison")
-	errBadComparison     = errors.New("incompatible types for comparison")
 	errNoComparison      = errors.New("missing argument for comparison")
 )
 
@@ -487,7 +486,7 @@ func eq(arg1 reflect.Value, arg2 ...reflect.Value) (bool, error) {
 				truth = arg.Int() >= 0 && arg1.Uint() == uint64(arg.Int())
 			default:
 				if arg1.IsValid() && arg.IsValid() {
-					return false, errBadComparison
+					return false, fmt.Errorf("incompatible types for comparison: %v and %v", arg1.Type(), arg.Type())
 				}
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -553,7 +552,7 @@ func lt(arg1, arg2 reflect.Value) (bool, error) {
 		case k1 == uintKind && k2 == intKind:
 			truth = arg2.Int() >= 0 && arg1.Uint() < uint64(arg2.Int())
 		default:
-			return false, errBadComparison
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("incompatible types for comparison: %v and %v", arg1.Type(), arg2.Type())
 		}
 	} else {
 		switch k1 {