diff --git a/README.multi-tty b/README.multi-tty
index dc5211cc2b1..68cae7a2060 100644
--- a/README.multi-tty
+++ b/README.multi-tty
@@ -246,13 +246,6 @@ THINGS TO DO
    why raw terminal support is broken again.  I really do need to
    understand input.)
 
-** emacsclient -t from an Emacs term buffer does not work, complains
-   about face problems.  This can even lock up Emacs (if the recursive
-   frame sets single_kboard).  Update: the face problems are caused by
-   bugs in term.el, not in multi-tty.  The lockup is caused by
-   single_kboard mode, and is not easily solvable.  The best thing to
-   do is to simply refuse to create a tty frame of type `eterm'.
-
 ** Maybe standard-display-table should be display-local.
 
 DIARY OF CHANGES
@@ -663,4 +656,15 @@ DIARY OF CHANGES
    narrow_foreground_group.  tcsetpgrp blocks if it is called from a
    process that is not in the same process group as the tty.)
 
+-- emacsclient -t from an Emacs term buffer does not work, complains
+   about face problems.  This can even lock up Emacs (if the recursive
+   frame sets single_kboard).  Update: the face problems are caused by
+   bugs in term.el, not in multi-tty.  The lockup is caused by
+   single_kboard mode, and is not easily solvable.  The best thing to
+   do is to simply refuse to create a tty frame of type `eterm'.
+
+   (Fixed, changed emacsclient to check for TERM=eterm.  The face
+   complaints seem to be caused by bugs in term.el; they are not
+   related to multi-tty.)
+
 ;;; arch-tag: 8da1619e-2e79-41a8-9ac9-a0485daad17d
diff --git a/lib-src/emacsclient.c b/lib-src/emacsclient.c
index f41315b1248..c1c8ee8f160 100644
--- a/lib-src/emacsclient.c
+++ b/lib-src/emacsclient.c
@@ -588,15 +588,35 @@ To start the server in Emacs, type \"M-x server-start\".\n",
   if (tty)
     {
       char *tty_name = ttyname (fileno (stdin));
+      char *type = getenv ("TERM");
+      
       if (! tty_name)
-        fail ();
+        {
+          fprintf (stderr, "%s: could not get terminal name\n", progname);
+          fail ();
+        }
+
+      if (! type)
+        {
+          fprintf (stderr, "%s: please set the TERM variable to your terminal type\n",
+                   progname);
+          fail ();
+        }
+
+      if (! strcmp (type, "eterm"))
+        {
+          /* This causes nasty, MULTI_KBOARD-related input lockouts. */
+          fprintf (stderr, "%s: opening a frame in an Emacs term buffer"
+                   " is not supported\n", progname);
+          fail ();
+        }
       
       init_signals ();
       
       fprintf (out, "-tty ");
       quote_file_name (tty_name, out);
       fprintf (out, " ");
-      quote_file_name (getenv("TERM"), out);
+      quote_file_name (type, out);
       fprintf (out, " ");
     }