diff -r 7d7a2c721366 Lib/test/test_unpack.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_unpack.py	Wed Apr 15 10:09:10 2015 -0400
+++ b/Lib/test/test_unpack.py	Wed Apr 15 12:38:10 2015 -0400
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     >>> a, b, c, d = Seq()
     Traceback (most recent call last):
       ...
-    ValueError: need more than 3 values to unpack
+    ValueError: not enough values to unpack (expected 4, got 3)
 
 Unpacking sequence too long
 
diff -r 7d7a2c721366 Lib/test/test_unpack_ex.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_unpack_ex.py	Wed Apr 15 10:09:10 2015 -0400
+++ b/Lib/test/test_unpack_ex.py	Wed Apr 15 12:38:10 2015 -0400
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
     >>> a, *b, c, d, e = Seq()
     Traceback (most recent call last):
       ...
-    ValueError: need more than 3 values to unpack
+    ValueError: not enough values to unpack (expected at least 4, got 3)
 
 Unpacking a sequence where the test for too long raises a different kind of
 error
diff -r 7d7a2c721366 Python/ceval.c
--- a/Python/ceval.c	Wed Apr 15 10:09:10 2015 -0400
+++ b/Python/ceval.c	Wed Apr 15 12:38:10 2015 -0400
@@ -3826,8 +3826,8 @@
             /* Iterator done, via error or exhaustion. */
             if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
                 PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
-                    "need more than %d value%s to unpack",
-                    i, i == 1 ? "" : "s");
+                    "not enough values to unpack (expected %d, got %d)",
+                    argcnt, i);
             }
             goto Error;
         }
@@ -3844,8 +3844,9 @@
             return 1;
         }
         Py_DECREF(w);
-        PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError, "too many values to unpack "
-                     "(expected %d)", argcnt);
+        PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+            "too many values to unpack (expected %d)",
+            argcnt);
         goto Error;
     }
 
@@ -3857,8 +3858,9 @@
 
     ll = PyList_GET_SIZE(l);
     if (ll < argcntafter) {
-        PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError, "need more than %zd values to unpack",
-                     argcnt + ll);
+        PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+            "not enough values to unpack (expected at least %d, got %zd)",
+            argcnt + argcntafter, i - 1 + ll);
         goto Error;
     }