--- a/src/jdk.compiler/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/comp/Attr.java	Fri May 11 10:07:10 2018 -0700
+++ b/src/jdk.compiler/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/comp/Attr.java	Fri May 11 10:39:04 2018 -0700
@@ -3035,14 +3035,14 @@
                         targetError = false;
                 }
 
-                JCDiagnostic detailsDiag = ((Resolve.ResolveError)refSym.baseSymbol()).getDiagnostic(JCDiagnostic.DiagnosticType.FRAGMENT,
+                JCDiagnostic detailsDiag = ((Resolve.ResolveError)refSym.baseSymbol())
+                        .getDiagnostic(JCDiagnostic.DiagnosticType.FRAGMENT,
                                 that, exprType.tsym, exprType, that.name, argtypes, typeargtypes);
 
-                JCDiagnostic.DiagnosticType diagKind = targetError ?
-                        JCDiagnostic.DiagnosticType.FRAGMENT : JCDiagnostic.DiagnosticType.ERROR;
-
-                JCDiagnostic diag = diags.create(diagKind, log.currentSource(), that,
-                        "invalid.mref", Kinds.kindName(that.getMode()), detailsDiag);
+                JCDiagnostic diag = diags.create(log.currentSource(), that,
+                        targetError ?
+                            Fragments.InvalidMref(Kinds.kindName(that.getMode()), detailsDiag) :
+                            Errors.InvalidMref(Kinds.kindName(that.getMode()), detailsDiag));
 
                 if (targetError && currentTarget == Type.recoveryType) {
                     //a target error doesn't make sense during recovery stage

--- a/src/jdk.compiler/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/resources/compiler.properties	Fri May 11 10:07:10 2018 -0700
+++ b/src/jdk.compiler/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/resources/compiler.properties	Fri May 11 10:39:04 2018 -0700
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@
     invalid {0} reference\n\
     {1}
 
-# 0: symbol kind, 1: message segment
+# 0: kind name, 1: message segment
 compiler.misc.invalid.mref=\
     invalid {0} reference\n\
     {1}
@@ -2469,6 +2469,11 @@
     cannot find symbol\n\
     symbol: {0} {1}({3})
 
+# 0: kind name, 1: name, 2: unused, 3: list of type
+compiler.misc.cant.resolve.args=\
+    cannot find symbol\n\
+    symbol: {0} {1}({3})
+
 # 0: kind name, 1: name, 2: list of type, 3: list of type
 compiler.err.cant.resolve.args.params=\
     cannot find symbol\n\

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/langtools/tools/javac/T8194998/BrokenErrorMessageTest.java	Fri May 11 10:39:04 2018 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * @test  /nodynamiccopyright/
+ * @bug 8194998
+ * @summary broken error message for subclass of interface with private method
+ * @compile/fail/ref=BrokenErrorMessageTest.out -XDrawDiagnostics BrokenErrorMessageTest.java
+ */
+
+class BrokenErrorMessageTest {
+    void foo() {
+        // there is no error in this case but it is an interesting test, ::test is a member of I so this is acceptable
+        Runnable test1 = ((I)(new I() {}))::test;
+        // ::test is not a member of any subclass of I as it is private
+        Runnable test2 = ((new I() {}))::test;
+    }
+
+    interface I {
+        private void test() {}
+    }
+}

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/langtools/tools/javac/T8194998/BrokenErrorMessageTest.out	Fri May 11 10:39:04 2018 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+BrokenErrorMessageTest.java:13:26: compiler.err.invalid.mref: kindname.method, (compiler.misc.cant.resolve.args: kindname.method, test, , )
+1 error

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/langtools/tools/javac/diags/examples/BadReference.java	Fri May 11 10:39:04 2018 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+// key: compiler.err.invalid.mref
+// key: compiler.misc.cant.resolve.args
+
+class BadReference {
+    void foo() {
+        // ::test is not a member of any subclass of I as it is private
+        Runnable test2 = ((new I() {}))::test;
+    }
+
+    interface I {
+        private void test() {}
+    }
+}