diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Reinterpret.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Reinterpret.java
index 9d7904bd0..c11cee24a 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Reinterpret.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Reinterpret.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class Reinterpret implements Function {
                 return reinterpret(str, decoder, encoder);
             }
         }
-        return new EvalError(ControlFunctionRegistry.getFunctionName(this) + " expects 2 or 3 arguments");
+        return new EvalError(ControlFunctionRegistry.getFunctionName(this) + " expects String to reinterpret with a given target encoding and optional source encoding");
     }
 
     private Object reinterpret(String str, String decoder, String encoder) {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class Reinterpret implements Function {
                 result = new String(bytes, encoder);
             }
         } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
-            return new EvalError(ControlFunctionRegistry.getFunctionName(this) + ": encoding '" + encoder + "' is not available or recognized.");
+            return new EvalError(ControlFunctionRegistry.getFunctionName(this) + ": target encoding '" + encoder + "' is not available or recognized.");
         }
                         
         return result;
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ public class Reinterpret implements Function {
     
     @Override
     public String getDescription() {
-        return "Returns s reinterpreted thru the given encoder.";
+        return "Returns s reinterpreted using a target encoding and optional source encoding.";
     }
     
     @Override
     public String getParams() {
-        return "string s, string encoder";
+        return "string s, string target encoding, string source encoding";
     }
     
     @Override
diff --git a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/ReinterpretTests.java b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/ReinterpretTests.java
index e40107cb1..66ab267fe 100644
--- a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/ReinterpretTests.java
+++ b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/ReinterpretTests.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import com.google.refine.util.TestUtils;
 public class ReinterpretTests {
     @Test
     public void serializeReinterpret() {
-        String json = "{\"description\":\"Returns s reinterpreted thru the given encoder.\",\"params\":\"string s, string encoder\",\"returns\":\"string\"}";
+        String json = "{\"description\":\"Returns s reinterpreted using a target encoding and optional source encoding.\",\"params\":\"string s, string target encoding, string source encoding\",\"returns\":\"string\"}";
         TestUtils.isSerializedTo(new Reinterpret(), json);
     }
 }