diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 2cdf587c0..4320d74ff 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ Javier Domingo Cansino
 John Towler
 Joshua Bronson
 Jurko Gospodnetić
+Justyna Janczyszyn
 Katarzyna Jachim
 Kale Kundert
 Kevin Cox
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 63b574e52..31e0a457b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ time or change existing behaviors in order to make them less surprising/more use
 * Allow passing a custom debugger class (e.g. ``--pdbcls=IPython.core.debugger:Pdb``).
   Thanks to `@anntzer`_ for the PR.
 
-
 *
 
 *
@@ -237,6 +236,9 @@ time or change existing behaviors in order to make them less surprising/more use
 
 * ``optparse`` backward compatibility supports float/complex types (`#457`_).
 
+* Better message in case of not using parametrized variable (see `#1539`_).
+  Thanks to `@tramwaj29`_ for the PR.
+
 *
 
 *
@@ -318,6 +320,7 @@ time or change existing behaviors in order to make them less surprising/more use
 .. _#1664: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/pull/1664
 .. _#1684: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/pull/1684
 .. _#1723: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/pull/1723
+.. _#1539: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1539
 .. _#1749: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1749
 
 .. _@DRMacIver: https://github.com/DRMacIver
@@ -351,6 +354,7 @@ time or change existing behaviors in order to make them less surprising/more use
 .. _@tareqalayan: https://github.com/tareqalayan
 .. _@taschini: https://github.com/taschini
 .. _@txomon: https://github.com/txomon
+.. _@tramwaj29: https://github.com/tramwaj29
 
 2.9.2
 =====
diff --git a/_pytest/python.py b/_pytest/python.py
index 37151d907..8db0d9960 100644
--- a/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/_pytest/python.py
@@ -801,7 +801,13 @@ class Metafunc(fixtures.FuncargnamesCompatAttr):
         valtypes = {}
         for arg in argnames:
             if arg not in self.fixturenames:
-                raise ValueError("%r uses no fixture %r" %(self.function, arg))
+                if isinstance(indirect, (tuple, list)):
+                    name = 'fixture' if arg in indirect else 'argument'
+                else:
+                    name = 'fixture' if indirect else 'argument'
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "%r uses no %s %r" % (
+                            self.function, name, arg))
 
         if indirect is True:
             valtypes = dict.fromkeys(argnames, "params")
@@ -811,7 +817,7 @@ class Metafunc(fixtures.FuncargnamesCompatAttr):
             valtypes = dict.fromkeys(argnames, "funcargs")
             for arg in indirect:
                 if arg not in argnames:
-                    raise ValueError("indirect given to %r: fixture %r doesn't exist" %(
+                    raise ValueError("indirect given to %r: fixture %r doesn't exist" % (
                                      self.function, arg))
                 valtypes[arg] = "params"
         idfn = None
diff --git a/testing/python/metafunc.py b/testing/python/metafunc.py
index ac8e512d4..e55761896 100644
--- a/testing/python/metafunc.py
+++ b/testing/python/metafunc.py
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ class TestMetafunc:
         """)
         result = testdir.runpytest("--collect-only")
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
-            "*uses no fixture 'y'*",
+            "*uses no argument 'y'*",
         ])
 
     @pytest.mark.issue714
@@ -417,8 +417,42 @@ class TestMetafunc:
             "*uses no fixture 'y'*",
         ])
 
+    @pytest.mark.issue714
+    def test_parametrize_indirect_uses_no_fixture_error_indirect_string(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makepyfile("""
+            import pytest
+            @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
+            def x(request):
+                return request.param * 3
+
+            @pytest.mark.parametrize('x, y', [('a', 'b')], indirect='y')
+            def test_simple(x):
+                assert len(x) == 3
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--collect-only")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            "*uses no fixture 'y'*",
+        ])
+
     @pytest.mark.issue714
     def test_parametrize_indirect_uses_no_fixture_error_indirect_list(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makepyfile("""
+            import pytest
+            @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
+            def x(request):
+                return request.param * 3
+
+            @pytest.mark.parametrize('x, y', [('a', 'b')], indirect=['y'])
+            def test_simple(x):
+                assert len(x) == 3
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--collect-only")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            "*uses no fixture 'y'*",
+        ])
+
+    @pytest.mark.issue714
+    def test_parametrize_argument_not_in_indirect_list(self, testdir):
         testdir.makepyfile("""
             import pytest
             @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
@@ -431,7 +465,7 @@ class TestMetafunc:
         """)
         result = testdir.runpytest("--collect-only")
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
-            "*uses no fixture 'y'*",
+            "*uses no argument 'y'*",
         ])
 
     def test_addcalls_and_parametrize_indirect(self):