diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
index b3ab8764cd1b..d36e306998df 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public enum ErrorMessageID {
     EnumCaseDefinitionInNonEnumOwnerID,
     ExpectedTypeBoundOrEqualsID,
     ClassAndCompanionNameClashID,
+    TailrecNotApplicableID,
     ;
 
     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 6de9a1275a2e..a172806fe4a9 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
@@ -1777,6 +1777,7 @@ object messages {
     val explanation =
       hl"""A class marked with the ${"final"} keyword cannot be extended"""
   }
+
   case class EnumCaseDefinitionInNonEnumOwner(owner: Symbol)(implicit ctx: Context)
     extends Message(EnumCaseDefinitionInNonEnumOwnerID) {
       val kind = "Syntax"
@@ -1817,4 +1818,12 @@ object messages {
            |  - ${other.owner} defines ${other}"""
       }
   }
+
+  case class TailrecNotApplicable(method: Symbol)(implicit ctx: Context)
+    extends Message(TailrecNotApplicableID) {
+      val kind = "Syntax"
+      val msg = hl"TailRec optimisation not applicable, $method is neither ${"private"} nor ${"final"}."
+      val explanation =
+       hl"A method annotated ${"@tailrec"} must be declared ${"private"} or ${"final"} so it can't be overridden."
+  }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/TailRec.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/TailRec.scala
index 4f6d5dace29b..24fa51dc0c68 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/TailRec.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/TailRec.scala
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import Symbols._
 import Types._
 import NameKinds.TailLabelName
 import TreeTransforms.{MiniPhaseTransform, TransformerInfo}
+import reporting.diagnostic.messages.TailrecNotApplicable
 
 /**
  * A Tail Rec Transformer
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ class TailRec extends MiniPhaseTransform with DenotTransformer with FullParamete
           })
         }
       case d: DefDef if d.symbol.hasAnnotation(defn.TailrecAnnot) || methodsWithInnerAnnots.contains(d.symbol) =>
-        ctx.error("TailRec optimisation not applicable, method is neither private nor final so can be overridden", sym.pos)
+        ctx.error(TailrecNotApplicable(sym), sym.pos)
         d
       case d if d.symbol.hasAnnotation(defn.TailrecAnnot) || methodsWithInnerAnnots.contains(d.symbol) =>
         ctx.error("TailRec optimisation not applicable, not a method", sym.pos)
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
index 2f650d91d996..0c3d8377fed8 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
@@ -1025,6 +1025,21 @@ class ErrorMessagesTests extends ErrorMessagesTest {
       assertEquals("object Qux", owner.show)
     }
 
+  @Test def tailrecNotApplicableNeitherPrivateNorFinal =
+    checkMessagesAfter("tailrec") {
+    """
+      |class Foo {
+      |  @scala.annotation.tailrec
+      |  def foo: Unit = foo
+      |}
+    """.stripMargin
+    }.expect { (ictx, messages) =>
+      implicit val ctx: Context = ictx
+      assertMessageCount(1, messages)
+      val TailrecNotApplicable(method) :: Nil = messages
+      assertEquals(method.show, "method foo")
+    }
+
     @Test def expectedTypeBoundOrEquals =
       checkMessagesAfter("frontend") {
         """object typedef {