--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/main/JavaCompiler.java	Wed Mar 02 10:56:39 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/main/JavaCompiler.java	Wed Mar 02 14:03:38 2011 -0800
@@ -1118,6 +1118,11 @@
     boolean explicitAnnotationProcessingRequested() {
         return
             explicitAnnotationProcessingRequested ||
+            explicitAnnotationProcessingRequested(options);
+    }
+
+    static boolean explicitAnnotationProcessingRequested(Options options) {
+        return
             options.isSet(PROCESSOR) ||
             options.isSet(PROCESSORPATH) ||
             options.isSet(PROC, "only") ||

--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/main/Main.java	Wed Mar 02 10:56:39 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/main/Main.java	Wed Mar 02 14:03:38 2011 -0800
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1999, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1999, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -367,7 +367,11 @@
                         || options.isSet(VERSION)
                         || options.isSet(FULLVERSION))
                         return EXIT_OK;
-                    error("err.no.source.files");
+                    if (JavaCompiler.explicitAnnotationProcessingRequested(options)) {
+                        error("err.no.source.files.classes");
+                    } else {
+                        error("err.no.source.files");
+                    }
                     return EXIT_CMDERR;
                 }
             } catch (java.io.FileNotFoundException e) {

--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/resources/javac.properties	Wed Mar 02 10:56:39 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/resources/javac.properties	Wed Mar 02 14:03:38 2011 -0800
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 1999, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 1999, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 # DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 #
 # This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@
     invalid target release: {0}
 javac.err.no.source.files=\
     no source files
+javac.err.no.source.files.classes=\
+    no source files or class names
 javac.err.req.arg=\
     {0} requires an argument
 javac.err.invalid.source=\

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/tools/javac/options/T6986895.java	Wed Mar 02 14:03:38 2011 -0800
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @test
+ * @bug 6986895
+ * @summary compiler gives misleading message for no input files
+ */
+
+import java.io.*;
+import java.util.*;
+
+public class T6986895 {
+    public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
+        new T6986895().run();
+    }
+
+    String noSourceFiles = "no source files";
+    String noSourceFilesOrClasses = "no source files or class names";
+
+    void run() throws Exception {
+        Locale prev = Locale.getDefault();
+        try {
+            Locale.setDefault(Locale.ENGLISH);
+            test(noSourceFiles,           "-Werror");
+            test(noSourceFilesOrClasses,  "-Werror", "-Xprint");
+        } finally {
+            Locale.setDefault(prev);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void test(String expect, String... args) throws Exception {
+        System.err.println("Test " + expect + ": " + Arrays.asList(args));
+        StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();
+        PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(sw);
+        int rc = com.sun.tools.javac.Main.compile(args, pw);
+        pw.close();
+        System.err.println("compilation failed; rc=" + rc);
+        String out = sw.toString();
+        if (!out.isEmpty())
+            System.err.println(out);
+        if (!out.contains(expect))
+            throw new Exception("expected text not found: " + expect);
+        System.err.println();
+    }
+}