diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/cast.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/cast.rs
index c044c4f7c37d..e144a6ab5999 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/cast.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/cast.rs
@@ -408,6 +408,16 @@ fn report_cast_error(&self, fcx: &FnCtxt<'a, 'tcx>, e: CastError<'tcx>) {
                     self.expr_ty,
                     fcx.ty_to_string(self.cast_ty)
                 );
+
+                if let Ok(snippet) = fcx.tcx.sess.source_map().span_to_snippet(self.expr_span)
+                    && matches!(self.expr.kind, ExprKind::AddrOf(..))
+                {
+                    err.note(format!(
+                        "casting reference expression `{}` because `&` binds tighter than `as`",
+                        snippet
+                    ));
+                }
+
                 let mut sugg = None;
                 let mut sugg_mutref = false;
                 if let ty::Ref(reg, cast_ty, mutbl) = *self.cast_ty.kind() {
diff --git a/tests/ui/cast/func-pointer-issue-140491.stderr b/tests/ui/cast/func-pointer-issue-140491.stderr
index ebd4b18502ec..e1c07010e691 100644
--- a/tests/ui/cast/func-pointer-issue-140491.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/cast/func-pointer-issue-140491.stderr
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ error[E0605]: non-primitive cast: `&for<'a, 'b> fn(&'a Event<'b>) {my_fn}` as `&
    |
 LL | ..._>) = &my_fn as _;
    |          ^^^^^^^^^^^ an `as` expression can only be used to convert between primitive types or to coerce to a specific trait object
+   |
+   = note: casting reference expression `&my_fn` because `&` binds tighter than `as`
 
 error: aborting due to 1 previous error
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/coercion/issue-73886.stderr b/tests/ui/coercion/issue-73886.stderr
index 0d4c90017cf1..a287aa29e118 100644
--- a/tests/ui/coercion/issue-73886.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/coercion/issue-73886.stderr
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ error[E0605]: non-primitive cast: `&&[i32; 1]` as `&[_]`
    |
 LL |     let _ = &&[0] as &[_];
    |             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ an `as` expression can only be used to convert between primitive types or to coerce to a specific trait object
+   |
+   = note: casting reference expression `&&[0]` because `&` binds tighter than `as`
 
 error[E0605]: non-primitive cast: `u32` as `Option<_>`
   --> $DIR/issue-73886.rs:4:13