diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index efc7378f745..c5691d40e3d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
   . Fixed bug #80634 (write_property handler of internal classes is skipped on
     preloaded JITted code). (Dmitry)
 
+- Phar:
+  . Fixed bug #75850 (Unclear error message wrt. __halt_compiler() w/o
+    semicolon) (cmb)
+
 21 Jan 2021, PHP 8.0.2
 
 - Core:
diff --git a/ext/phar/phar.c b/ext/phar/phar.c
index 6434a75a75c..cb410f57d2f 100644
--- a/ext/phar/phar.c
+++ b/ext/phar/phar.c
@@ -2652,7 +2652,7 @@ int phar_flush(phar_archive_data *phar, char *user_stub, zend_long len, int conv
 			}
 			php_stream_close(newfile);
 			if (error) {
-				spprintf(error, 0, "illegal stub for phar \"%s\"", phar->fname);
+				spprintf(error, 0, "illegal stub for phar \"%s\" (__HALT_COMPILER(); is missing)", phar->fname);
 			}
 			if (free_user_stub) {
 				zend_string_free(suser_stub);
diff --git a/ext/phar/tests/phar_stub_error.phpt b/ext/phar/tests/phar_stub_error.phpt
index 972af851ee9..f56f30fece6 100644
--- a/ext/phar/tests/phar_stub_error.phpt
+++ b/ext/phar/tests/phar_stub_error.phpt
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ __HALT_COMPILER();
 string(48) "<?php echo "first stub\n"; __HALT_COMPILER(); ?>"
 string(48) "<?php echo "first stub\n"; __HALT_COMPILER(); ?>"
 bool(true)
-Exception: illegal stub for phar "%sphar_stub_error.phar.php"
+Exception: illegal stub for phar "%sphar_stub_error.phar.php" (__HALT_COMPILER(); is missing)
 string(48) "<?php echo "first stub\n"; __HALT_COMPILER(); ?>"
 bool(true)
 string(48) "<?php echo "first stub\n"; __HALT_COMPILER(); ?>"