diff -r 782c3b4cbc88 Lib/test/test_grammar.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_grammar.py	Thu Jun 05 12:07:14 2014 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_grammar.py	Fri Jun 06 22:54:26 2014 +1000
@@ -384,6 +384,18 @@
         check_syntax_error(self, "x + 1 = 1")
         check_syntax_error(self, "a + 1 = b + 2")
 
+    def test_print_statement_refers_to_builtin(self):
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(SyntaxError, "call to 'print'"):
+            exec("print foo")
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(SyntaxError, "invalid syntax"):
+            exec("print (foo.)")
+
+    def test_exec_statement_refers_to_builtin(self):
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(SyntaxError, "call to 'exec'"):
+            exec("exec foo")
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(SyntaxError, "invalid syntax"):
+            exec("exec (foo.)")
+
     def test_del_stmt(self):
         # 'del' exprlist
         abc = [1,2,3]
diff -r 782c3b4cbc88 Objects/exceptions.c
--- a/Objects/exceptions.c	Thu Jun 05 12:07:14 2014 +0200
+++ b/Objects/exceptions.c	Fri Jun 06 22:54:26 2014 +1000
@@ -1298,6 +1298,58 @@
         Py_INCREF(self->text);
 
         Py_DECREF(info);
+
+        /* Issue #21669: Custom error for 'print' & 'exec' as statements
+         * We take the simple option of assuming any syntax error where
+         * the program text starts with "print " or "exec " and does not
+         * contain a left parenthesis character is a result of attempting
+         * to write these operations as Python 2 style statements.
+         */
+        if (self->text && PyUnicode_Check(self->text)) {
+            static PyObject *left_paren = NULL;
+            static PyObject *print_prefix = NULL;
+            static PyObject *exec_prefix = NULL;
+            Py_ssize_t text_len = PyUnicode_GET_LENGTH(self->text);
+            Py_ssize_t left_paren_index;
+
+            if (left_paren == NULL) {
+                left_paren = PyUnicode_InternFromString("(");
+                if (left_paren == NULL) {
+                    return -1;
+                }
+            }
+            left_paren_index = PyUnicode_Find(self->text, left_paren,
+                                              0, text_len, 1);
+            if (left_paren_index < -1) {
+                return -1;
+            } else if (left_paren_index == -1) {
+                if (print_prefix == NULL) {
+                    print_prefix = PyUnicode_InternFromString("print ");
+                    if (print_prefix == NULL) {
+                        return -1;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (exec_prefix == NULL) {
+                    exec_prefix = PyUnicode_InternFromString("exec ");
+                    if (exec_prefix == NULL) {
+                        return -1;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (PyUnicode_Tailmatch(self->text, print_prefix,
+                                        0, text_len, -1)) {
+                    Py_CLEAR(self->msg);
+                    self->msg = PyUnicode_FromString(
+                               "Missing parentheses in call to 'print'");
+                }
+                if (PyUnicode_Tailmatch(self->text, exec_prefix,
+                                        0, text_len, -1)) {
+                    Py_CLEAR(self->msg);
+                    self->msg = PyUnicode_FromString(
+                                "Missing parentheses in call to 'exec'");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
     }
     return 0;
 }