diff --git a/src/librustc/lint/builtin.rs b/src/librustc/lint/builtin.rs
index c881d92a471f5..5ffb04fc50a44 100644
--- a/src/librustc/lint/builtin.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/lint/builtin.rs
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ pub mod parser {
 
     declare_lint! {
         pub META_VARIABLE_MISUSE,
-        Allow,
+        Deny,
         "possible meta-variable misuse at macro definition"
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.rs b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.rs
index 5da54451346a5..46a904903a23e 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 macro_rules! e {
     ($inp:ident) => (
-        $nonexistent
+        $nonexistent //~ ERROR unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
         //~^ ERROR unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
     );
 }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.stderr b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.stderr
index 2a4ece2f2425f..a2e24ce5353bd 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-1.stderr
@@ -7,5 +7,13 @@ LL |         $nonexistent
 LL |     e!(foo);
    |     -------- in this macro invocation
 
-error: aborting due to previous error
+error: unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
+  --> $DIR/issue-6596-1.rs:3:9
+   |
+LL |         $nonexistent
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^
+   |
+   = note: #[deny(meta_variable_misuse)] on by default
+
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.rs b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.rs
index b19700efe5ad3..ff0d0045db47a 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 macro_rules! g {
     ($inp:ident) => (
-        { $inp $nonexistent }
+        { $inp $nonexistent } //~ ERROR unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
         //~^ ERROR unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
     );
 }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.stderr b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.stderr
index 20fbe0fab0112..4cf4963a49169 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-6596-2.stderr
@@ -7,5 +7,13 @@ LL |         { $inp $nonexistent }
 LL |     g!(foo);
    |     -------- in this macro invocation
 
-error: aborting due to previous error
+error: unknown macro variable `nonexistent`
+  --> $DIR/issue-6596-2.rs:5:16
+   |
+LL |         { $inp $nonexistent }
+   |                ^^^^^^^^^^^^
+   |
+   = note: #[deny(meta_variable_misuse)] on by default
+
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors