diff --git a/src/backend/executor/spi.c b/src/backend/executor/spi.c
index bf619d3a65a..a8d7fe6dabf 100644
--- a/src/backend/executor/spi.c
+++ b/src/backend/executor/spi.c
@@ -1489,16 +1489,22 @@ SPI_cursor_open_internal(const char *name, SPIPlanPtr plan,
 	if (!SPI_is_cursor_plan(plan))
 	{
 		/* try to give a good error message */
+		const char *cmdtag;
+
 		if (list_length(plan->plancache_list) != 1)
 			ereport(ERROR,
 					(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_CURSOR_DEFINITION),
 					 errmsg("cannot open multi-query plan as cursor")));
 		plansource = (CachedPlanSource *) linitial(plan->plancache_list);
+		/* A SELECT that fails SPI_is_cursor_plan() must be SELECT INTO */
+		if (plansource->commandTag == CMDTAG_SELECT)
+			cmdtag = "SELECT INTO";
+		else
+			cmdtag = GetCommandTagName(plansource->commandTag);
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_CURSOR_DEFINITION),
 		/* translator: %s is name of a SQL command, eg INSERT */
-				 errmsg("cannot open %s query as cursor",
-						GetCommandTagName(plansource->commandTag))));
+				 errmsg("cannot open %s query as cursor", cmdtag)));
 	}
 
 	Assert(list_length(plan->plancache_list) == 1);
diff --git a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/expected/plpgsql_array.out b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/expected/plpgsql_array.out
index 5f28b4f685b..9e22e56f001 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/expected/plpgsql_array.out
+++ b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/expected/plpgsql_array.out
@@ -73,8 +73,9 @@ PL/pgSQL function inline_code_block line 2 at assignment
 insert into onecol values(array[11]);
 do $$ declare a int[];
 begin a := f1 from onecol; raise notice 'a = %', a; end$$;
-ERROR:  query "a := f1 from onecol" returned more than one row
-CONTEXT:  PL/pgSQL function inline_code_block line 2 at assignment
+ERROR:  query returned more than one row
+CONTEXT:  query: a := f1 from onecol
+PL/pgSQL function inline_code_block line 2 at assignment
 do $$ declare a int[];
 begin a := f1 from onecol limit 1; raise notice 'a = %', a; end$$;
 NOTICE:  a = {1,2}
diff --git a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_exec.c b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_exec.c
index 14bbe12da5b..7c5bc63778e 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_exec.c
+++ b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_exec.c
@@ -3557,9 +3557,22 @@ exec_stmt_return_query(PLpgSQL_execstate *estate,
 
 		rc = SPI_execute_plan_extended(expr->plan, &options);
 		if (rc != SPI_OK_SELECT)
-			ereport(ERROR,
-					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
-					 errmsg("query \"%s\" is not a SELECT", expr->query)));
+		{
+			/*
+			 * SELECT INTO deserves a special error message, because "query is
+			 * not a SELECT" is not very helpful in that case.
+			 */
+			if (rc == SPI_OK_SELINTO)
+				ereport(ERROR,
+						(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+						 errmsg("query is SELECT INTO, but it should be plain SELECT"),
+						 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
+			else
+				ereport(ERROR,
+						(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+						 errmsg("query is not a SELECT"),
+						 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -5644,7 +5657,8 @@ exec_eval_expr(PLpgSQL_execstate *estate,
 	if (rc != SPI_OK_SELECT)
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_WRONG_OBJECT_TYPE),
-				 errmsg("query \"%s\" did not return data", expr->query)));
+				 errmsg("query did not return data"),
+				 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
 
 	/*
 	 * Check that the expression returns exactly one column...
@@ -5652,11 +5666,11 @@ exec_eval_expr(PLpgSQL_execstate *estate,
 	if (estate->eval_tuptable->tupdesc->natts != 1)
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
-				 errmsg_plural("query \"%s\" returned %d column",
-							   "query \"%s\" returned %d columns",
+				 errmsg_plural("query returned %d column",
+							   "query returned %d columns",
 							   estate->eval_tuptable->tupdesc->natts,
-							   expr->query,
-							   estate->eval_tuptable->tupdesc->natts)));
+							   estate->eval_tuptable->tupdesc->natts),
+				 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
 
 	/*
 	 * ... and get the column's datatype.
@@ -5680,8 +5694,8 @@ exec_eval_expr(PLpgSQL_execstate *estate,
 	if (estate->eval_processed != 1)
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_CARDINALITY_VIOLATION),
-				 errmsg("query \"%s\" returned more than one row",
-						expr->query)));
+				 errmsg("query returned more than one row"),
+				 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
 
 	/*
 	 * Return the single result Datum.
@@ -5748,9 +5762,22 @@ exec_run_select(PLpgSQL_execstate *estate,
 	rc = SPI_execute_plan_with_paramlist(expr->plan, paramLI,
 										 estate->readonly_func, maxtuples);
 	if (rc != SPI_OK_SELECT)
-		ereport(ERROR,
-				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
-				 errmsg("query \"%s\" is not a SELECT", expr->query)));
+	{
+		/*
+		 * SELECT INTO deserves a special error message, because "query is not
+		 * a SELECT" is not very helpful in that case.
+		 */
+		if (rc == SPI_OK_SELINTO)
+			ereport(ERROR,
+					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+					 errmsg("query is SELECT INTO, but it should be plain SELECT"),
+					 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
+		else
+			ereport(ERROR,
+					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+					 errmsg("query is not a SELECT"),
+					 errcontext("query: %s", expr->query)));
+	}
 
 	/* Save query results for eventual cleanup */
 	Assert(estate->eval_tuptable == NULL);