diff --git a/call.go b/call.go
index 504a6e18a..bf13b7d22 100644
--- a/call.go
+++ b/call.go
@@ -185,6 +185,6 @@ func Invoke(ctx context.Context, method string, args, reply interface{}, cc *Cli
 		if lastErr != nil {
 			return toRPCErr(lastErr)
 		}
-		return Errorf(stream.StatusCode(), stream.StatusDesc())
+		return Errorf(stream.StatusCode(), "%s", stream.StatusDesc())
 	}
 }
diff --git a/call_test.go b/call_test.go
index 7e7f743b7..feeeb7eff 100644
--- a/call_test.go
+++ b/call_test.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	expectedRequest  = "ping"
 	expectedResponse = "pong"
+	weirdError       = "format verbs: %v%s"
 	sizeLargeErr     = 1024 * 1024
 )
 
@@ -95,6 +96,10 @@ func (h *testStreamHandler) handleStream(t *testing.T, s *transport.Stream) {
 			t.Errorf("Failed to unmarshal the received message: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
+		if v == "weird error" {
+			h.t.WriteStatus(s, codes.Internal, weirdError)
+			return
+		}
 		if v != expectedRequest {
 			h.t.WriteStatus(s, codes.Internal, strings.Repeat("A", sizeLargeErr))
 			return
@@ -223,3 +228,19 @@ func TestInvokeLargeErr(t *testing.T) {
 	cc.Close()
 	server.stop()
 }
+
+// TestInvokeErrorSpecialChars checks that error messages don't get mangled.
+func TestInvokeErrorSpecialChars(t *testing.T) {
+	server, cc := setUp(t, 0, math.MaxUint32)
+	var reply string
+	req := "weird error"
+	err := Invoke(context.Background(), "/foo/bar", &req, &reply, cc)
+	if _, ok := err.(rpcError); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("grpc.Invoke(_, _, _, _, _) receives non rpc error.")
+	}
+	if got, want := ErrorDesc(err), weirdError; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("grpc.Invoke(_, _, _, _, _) error = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+	cc.Close()
+	server.stop()
+}
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index dba7f6c42..16d30b435 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 				cs.finish(err)
 				return nil
 			}
-			return Errorf(cs.s.StatusCode(), cs.s.StatusDesc())
+			return Errorf(cs.s.StatusCode(), "%s", cs.s.StatusDesc())
 		}
 		return toRPCErr(err)
 	}
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 			// Returns io.EOF to indicate the end of the stream.
 			return
 		}
-		return Errorf(cs.s.StatusCode(), cs.s.StatusDesc())
+		return Errorf(cs.s.StatusCode(), "%s", cs.s.StatusDesc())
 	}
 	return toRPCErr(err)
 }