diff --git a/op.c b/op.c
index 9c90cbe07bc9..4e569dd35c0c 100644
--- a/op.c
+++ b/op.c
@@ -8086,8 +8086,7 @@ Perl_newAVREF(pTHX_ OP *o)
 	return o;
     }
     else if ((o->op_type == OP_RV2AV || o->op_type == OP_PADAV)) {
-	Perl_ck_warner_d(aTHX_ packWARN(WARN_DEPRECATED),
-		       "Using an array as a reference is deprecated");
+	Perl_croak(aTHX_ "Can't use an array as a reference");
     }
     return newUNOP(OP_RV2AV, 0, scalar(o));
 }
@@ -8113,8 +8112,7 @@ Perl_newHVREF(pTHX_ OP *o)
 	return o;
     }
     else if ((o->op_type == OP_RV2HV || o->op_type == OP_PADHV)) {
-	Perl_ck_warner_d(aTHX_ packWARN(WARN_DEPRECATED),
-		       "Using a hash as a reference is deprecated");
+	Perl_croak(aTHX_ "Can't use a hash as a reference");
     }
     return newUNOP(OP_RV2HV, 0, scalar(o));
 }
diff --git a/pod/perldiag.pod b/pod/perldiag.pod
index 67524bd20f5c..2e9165f0858b 100644
--- a/pod/perldiag.pod
+++ b/pod/perldiag.pod
@@ -1187,6 +1187,18 @@ indicates that such a conversion was attempted.
 (F) You tried to call perl with the B<-m> switch, but you put something
 other than "=" after the module name.
 
+=item Can't use a hash as a reference
+
+(F) You tried to use a hash as a reference, as in
+C<< %foo->{"bar"} >> or C<< %$ref->{"hello"} >>.  Versions of perl <= 5.6.1
+used to allow this syntax, but shouldn't have.
+
+=item Can't use an array as a reference
+
+(F) You tried to use an array as a reference, as in
+C<< @foo->[23] >> or C<< @$ref->[99] >>.  Versions of perl <= 5.6.1 used to
+allow this syntax, but shouldn't have.
+
 =item Can't use anonymous symbol table for method lookup
 
 (F) The internal routine that does method lookup was handed a symbol
@@ -6434,20 +6446,6 @@ or if you meant this
 
 You need to add either braces or blanks to disambiguate.
 
-=item Using a hash as a reference is deprecated
-
-(D deprecated) You tried to use a hash as a reference, as in
-C<< %foo->{"bar"} >> or C<< %$ref->{"hello"} >>.  Versions of perl <= 5.6.1
-used to allow this syntax, but shouldn't have.  It is now
-deprecated, and will be removed in a future version.
-
-=item Using an array as a reference is deprecated
-
-(D deprecated) You tried to use an array as a reference, as in
-C<< @foo->[23] >> or C<< @$ref->[99] >>.  Versions of perl <= 5.6.1 used to
-allow this syntax, but shouldn't have.  It is now deprecated,
-and will be removed in a future version.
-
 =item Using just the first character returned by \N{} in character class in 
 regex; marked by S<<-- HERE> in m/%s/
 
diff --git a/t/lib/warnings/op b/t/lib/warnings/op
index f5fad9c7f3a7..4773aece5a95 100644
--- a/t/lib/warnings/op
+++ b/t/lib/warnings/op
@@ -300,33 +300,60 @@ syntax error at - line 4, near "[]"
 Execution of - aborted due to compilation errors.
 ########
 # op.c
-my (@foo, %foo);
-%main::foo->{"bar"};
-%foo->{"bar"};
-@main::foo->[23];
-@foo->[23];
-$main::foo = {}; %$main::foo->{"bar"};
-$foo = {}; %$foo->{"bar"};
-$main::foo = []; @$main::foo->[34];
-$foo = []; @$foo->[34];
-no warnings 'deprecated';
+my %foo;
 %main::foo->{"bar"};
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use a hash as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my %foo;
 %foo->{"bar"};
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use a hash as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my @foo;
 @main::foo->[23];
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use an array as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my @foo;
 @foo->[23];
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use an array as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my %foo;
 $main::foo = {}; %$main::foo->{"bar"};
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use a hash as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my %foo;
 $foo = {}; %$foo->{"bar"};
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use a hash as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my @foo;
 $main::foo = []; @$main::foo->[34];
+EXPECT
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use an array as a reference at - line 3.
+########
+# op.c
+my @foo;
 $foo = []; @$foo->[34];
 EXPECT
-Using a hash as a reference is deprecated at - line 3.
-Using a hash as a reference is deprecated at - line 4.
-Using an array as a reference is deprecated at - line 5.
-Using an array as a reference is deprecated at - line 6.
-Using a hash as a reference is deprecated at - line 7.
-Using a hash as a reference is deprecated at - line 8.
-Using an array as a reference is deprecated at - line 9.
-Using an array as a reference is deprecated at - line 10.
+OPTION fatal
+Can't use an array as a reference at - line 3.
 ########
 # op.c
 use warnings 'void' ; no warnings 'experimental::smartmatch'; close STDIN ;
diff --git a/t/op/kvhslice.t b/t/op/kvhslice.t
index ca603174b0df..b30e6314ddbc 100644
--- a/t/op/kvhslice.t
+++ b/t/op/kvhslice.t
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ BEGIN {
 
 # use strict;
 
-plan tests => 44;
+plan tests => 40;
 
 # simple use cases
 {
@@ -162,20 +162,13 @@ plan tests => 44;
         is (scalar @warn, 0, 'no warning in list context');
     }
 
-    # deprecated syntax
     {
         my $h = \%h;
-        @warn = ();
-        ok( eq_array([eval '%$h->{a}'], ['A']), 'works, but deprecated' );
-        is (scalar @warn, 1, 'one warning');
-        like $warn[0], qr{^Using a hash as a reference is deprecated},
-            "correct warning text";
+        eval '%$h->{a}';
+        like($@, qr/Can't use a hash as a reference/, 'hash reference is error' );
 
-        @warn = ();
-        ok( eq_array([eval '%$h->{"b","c"}'], [undef]), 'works, but deprecated' );
-        is (scalar @warn, 1, 'one warning');
-        like $warn[0], qr{^Using a hash as a reference is deprecated},
-            "correct warning text";
+        eval '%$h->{"b","c"}';
+        like($@, qr/Can't use a hash as a reference/, 'hash slice reference is error' );
     }
 }