diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
index 37c6aee6540b..b4dbd031bea9 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ public enum ErrorMessageID {
     WrongNumberOfParametersID,
     DuplicatePrivateProtectedQualifierID,
     ExpectedStartOfTopLevelDefinitionID,
+    MissingReturnTypeWithReturnStatementID,
     ;
 
     public int errorNumber() {
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
index 848832dd8c0c..6bd4069fc2a9 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
@@ -598,6 +598,17 @@ object messages {
            |}"""
   }
 
+  case class MissingReturnTypeWithReturnStatement(method: Symbol)(implicit ctx: Context)
+  extends Message(MissingReturnTypeWithReturnStatementID) {
+    val kind = "Syntax"
+    val msg = hl"$method has a return statement; it needs a result type"
+    val explanation =
+      hl"""|If a method contains a ${"return"} statement, it must have an
+           |explicit return type. For example:
+           |
+           |${"def good: Int /* explicit return type */ = return 1"}"""
+  }
+
   case class YieldOrDoExpectedInForComprehension()(implicit ctx: Context)
   extends Message(YieldOrDoExpectedInForComprehensionID) {
     val kind = "Syntax"
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
index bd5ff738ff2d..a9055e331ac0 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Typer.scala
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ class Typer extends Namer with TypeAssigner with Applications with Implicits wit
         if (owner.isInlineMethod)
           (EmptyTree, errorType(em"no explicit return allowed from inline $owner", tree.pos))
         else if (!owner.isCompleted)
-          (EmptyTree, errorType(em"$owner has return statement; needs result type", tree.pos))
+          (EmptyTree, errorType(MissingReturnTypeWithReturnStatement(owner), tree.pos))
         else {
           val from = Ident(TermRef(NoPrefix, owner.asTerm))
           val proto = returnProto(owner, cx.scope)
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
index 7749f80ecaf0..aa473912ed7d 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
@@ -955,4 +955,19 @@ class ErrorMessagesTests extends ErrorMessagesTest {
 
         assertEquals(ExpectedStartOfTopLevelDefinition(), err)
       }
+
+  @Test def missingReturnTypeWithReturnStatement =
+    checkMessagesAfter("frontend") {
+      """class BadFunction {
+        |  def bad() = { return "fail" }
+        |}
+      """.stripMargin
+    }.expect { (ictx, messages) =>
+      implicit val ctx: Context = ictx
+
+      assertMessageCount(1, messages)
+
+      val MissingReturnTypeWithReturnStatement(method) :: Nil = messages
+      assertEquals(method.name.show, "bad")
+    }
 }