Index: Objects/listobject.c
===================================================================
--- Objects/listobject.c	(Revision 67572)
+++ Objects/listobject.c	(Arbeitskopie)
@@ -2261,7 +2261,7 @@
 listindex(PyListObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
 	Py_ssize_t i, start=0, stop=Py_SIZE(self);
-	PyObject *v;
+	PyObject *v, *repr;
 
 	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|O&O&:index", &v,
 	                            _PyEval_SliceIndex, &start,
@@ -2284,7 +2284,15 @@
 		else if (cmp < 0)
 			return NULL;
 	}
-	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "list.index(x): x not in list");
+	repr = PyObject_Repr(v);
+	if (!repr) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+				"list.index(): item not in list");
+	} else {
+		PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+			     "list.index(): %.200s not in list",
+			     PyString_AS_STRING(repr));
+	}
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -2308,6 +2316,7 @@
 listremove(PyListObject *self, PyObject *v)
 {
 	Py_ssize_t i;
+	PyObject *repr;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < Py_SIZE(self); i++) {
 		int cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(self->ob_item[i], v, Py_EQ);
@@ -2320,7 +2329,15 @@
 		else if (cmp < 0)
 			return NULL;
 	}
-	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "list.remove(x): x not in list");
+	repr = PyObject_Repr(v);
+	if (!repr) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+				"list.remove(): item not in list");
+	} else {
+		PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+			     "list.remove(): %.200s not in list",
+			     PyString_AS_STRING(repr));
+	}
 	return NULL;
 }
 
Index: Lib/test/test_list.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_list.py	(Revision 67572)
+++ Lib/test/test_list.py	(Arbeitskopie)
@@ -59,6 +59,24 @@
         self.assertRaises((MemoryError, OverflowError), mul, lst, n)
         self.assertRaises((MemoryError, OverflowError), imul, lst, n)
 
+    def test_exceptions(self):
+        class A:
+            def __repr__(self):
+                raise RuntimeError
+        for method in ([].remove, [].index):
+            try:
+                method('a')
+            except ValueError, err:
+                self.assert_("'a'" in err.args[0])
+            else:
+                self.fail('ValueError not raised')
+            try:
+                method(A())
+            except ValueError, err:
+                self.assert_("item" in err.args[0])
+            else:
+                self.fail('ValueError not raised')
+
 def test_main(verbose=None):
     test_support.run_unittest(ListTest)