diff --git a/guix/diagnostics.scm b/guix/diagnostics.scm
index 3b536d8e96..7b9ffc61b5 100644
--- a/guix/diagnostics.scm
+++ b/guix/diagnostics.scm
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 (define-module (guix diagnostics)
   #:use-module (guix colors)
   #:use-module (guix i18n)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-9)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-35)
@@ -43,6 +44,11 @@
             error-location?
             error-location
 
+            formatted-message
+            formatted-message?
+            formatted-message-string
+            formatted-message-arguments
+
             &fix-hint
             fix-hint?
             condition-fix-hint
@@ -255,6 +261,65 @@ a location object."
   fix-hint?
   (hint condition-fix-hint))                      ;string
 
+(define-condition-type &formatted-message &error
+  formatted-message?
+  (format    formatted-message-string)
+  (arguments formatted-message-arguments))
+
+(define (check-format-string location format args)
+  "Check that FORMAT, a format string, contains valid escapes, and that the
+number of arguments in ARGS matches the escapes in FORMAT."
+  (define actual-count
+    (length args))
+
+  (define allowed-chars                           ;for 'simple-format'
+    '(#\A #\S #\a #\s #\~ #\%))
+
+  (define (format-chars fmt)
+    (let loop ((chars  (string->list fmt))
+               (result '()))
+      (match chars
+        (()
+         (reverse result))
+        ((#\~ opt rest ...)
+         (loop rest (cons opt result)))
+        ((chr rest ...)
+         (and (memv chr allowed-chars)
+              (loop rest result))))))
+
+  (match (format-chars format)
+    (#f
+     ;; XXX: In this case it could be that FMT contains invalid escapes, or it
+     ;; could be that it contains escapes beyond ALLOWED-CHARS, for (ice-9
+     ;; format).  Instead of implementing '-Wformat', do nothing.
+     #f)
+    (chars
+     (let ((count (fold (lambda (chr count)
+                          (case chr
+                            ((#\~ #\%) count)
+                            (else (+ count 1))))
+                        0
+                        chars)))
+       (unless (= count actual-count)
+         (warning location (G_ "format string got ~a arguments, expected ~a~%")
+                  actual-count count))))))
+
+(define-syntax formatted-message
+  (lambda (s)
+    "Return a '&formatted-message' error condition."
+    (syntax-case s (G_)
+      ((_ (G_ str) args ...)
+       (string? (syntax->datum #'str))
+       (let ((str (syntax->datum #'str)))
+         ;; Implement a subset of '-Wformat'.
+         (check-format-string (source-properties->location
+                               (syntax-source s))
+                              str #'(args ...))
+         (with-syntax ((str (string-append str "\n")))
+           #'(condition
+              (&formatted-message (format str)
+                                  (arguments (list args ...))))))))))
+
 
 (define guix-warning-port
   (make-parameter (current-warning-port)))
diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index 588eb8480e..162eb35d26 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -388,12 +388,18 @@ ARGS is the list of arguments received by the 'throw' handler."
     (('unbound-variable _ ...)
      (report-unbound-variable-error args #:frame frame))
     (((or 'srfi-34 '%exception) obj)
-     (if (message-condition? obj)
-         (report-error (and (error-location? obj)
-                            (error-location obj))
-                       (G_ "~a~%")
-                       (gettext (condition-message obj) %gettext-domain))
-         (report-error (G_ "exception thrown: ~s~%") obj))
+     (cond ((message-condition? obj)
+            (report-error (and (error-location? obj)
+                               (error-location obj))
+                          (G_ "~a~%")
+                          (gettext (condition-message obj) %gettext-domain)))
+           ((formatted-message? obj)
+            (apply report-error
+                   (and (error-location? obj) (error-location obj))
+                   (gettext (formatted-message-string obj) %gettext-domain)
+                   (formatted-message-arguments obj)))
+           (else
+            (report-error (G_ "exception thrown: ~s~%") obj)))
      (when (fix-hint? obj)
        (display-hint (condition-fix-hint obj))))
     ((key args ...)
@@ -420,12 +426,19 @@ exiting.  ARGS is the list of arguments received by the 'throw' handler."
     (('unbound-variable _ ...)
      (report-unbound-variable-error args))
     (((or 'srfi-34 '%exception) obj)
-     (if (message-condition? obj)
-         (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a': ~a~%")
-                  file
-                  (gettext (condition-message obj) %gettext-domain))
-         (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a': exception thrown: ~s~%")
-                  file obj)))
+     (cond ((message-condition? obj)
+            (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a': ~a~%")
+                     file
+                     (gettext (condition-message obj) %gettext-domain)))
+           ((formatted-message? obj)
+            (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a': ~a~%")
+                     (apply format #f
+                            (gettext (formatted-message-string obj)
+                                     %gettext-domain)
+                            (formatted-message-arguments obj))))
+           (else
+            (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a': exception thrown: ~s~%")
+                     file obj))))
     ((error args ...)
      (warning (G_ "failed to load '~a':~%") module)
      (apply display-error #f (current-error-port) args)
@@ -791,6 +804,15 @@ directories:~{ ~a~}~%")
                 (display-hint (condition-fix-hint c)))
               (exit 1))
 
+             ((formatted-message? c)
+              (apply report-error
+                     (and (error-location? c) (error-location c))
+                     (gettext (formatted-message-string c) %gettext-domain)
+                     (formatted-message-arguments c))
+              (when (fix-hint? c)
+                (display-hint (condition-fix-hint c)))
+              (exit 1))
+
              ;; On Guile 3.0.0, exceptions such as 'unbound-variable' are
              ;; compound and include a '&message'.  However, that message only
              ;; contains the format string.  Thus, special-case it here to
@@ -854,11 +876,17 @@ similar."
           (('syntax-error proc message properties form . rest)
            (report-error (G_ "syntax error: ~a~%") message))
           (((or 'srfi-34 '%exception) obj)
-           (if (message-condition? obj)
-               (report-error (G_ "~a~%")
-                             (gettext (condition-message obj)
-                                      %gettext-domain))
-               (report-error (G_ "exception thrown: ~s~%") obj)))
+           (cond ((message-condition? obj)
+                  (report-error (G_ "~a~%")
+                                (gettext (condition-message obj)
+                                         %gettext-domain)))
+                 ((formatted-message? obj)
+                  (apply report-error #f
+                         (gettext (formatted-message-string obj)
+                                  %gettext-domain)
+                         (formatted-message-arguments obj)))
+                 (else
+                  (report-error (G_ "exception thrown: ~s~%") obj))))
           ((error args ...)
            (apply display-error #f (current-error-port) args))
           (what? #f))