diff --git a/example/issues.cpp b/example/issues.cpp
index 83147592..55fc3f3c 100644
--- a/example/issues.cpp
+++ b/example/issues.cpp
@@ -138,4 +138,23 @@ void init_issues(py::module &m) {
     } catch (std::runtime_error &) {
         /* All good */
     }
+
+    // Issue #283: __str__ called on uninitialized instance when constructor arguments invalid
+    class StrIssue {
+    public:
+        StrIssue(int i) : val{i} {}
+        StrIssue() : StrIssue(-1) {}
+        int value() const { return val; }
+    private:
+        int val;
+    };
+    py::class_<StrIssue> si(m2, "StrIssue");
+    si  .def(py::init<int>())
+        .def(py::init<>())
+        .def("__str__", [](const StrIssue &si) {
+                std::cout << "StrIssue.__str__ called" << std::endl;
+                return "StrIssue[" + std::to_string(si.value()) + "]";
+                })
+        ;
+
 }
diff --git a/example/issues.py b/example/issues.py
index 257f08e1..716a1b2f 100644
--- a/example/issues.py
+++ b/example/issues.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from example.issues import iterator_passthrough
 from example.issues import ElementList, ElementA, print_element
 from example.issues import expect_float, expect_int
 from example.issues import A, call_f
+from example.issues import StrIssue
 import gc
 
 print_cchar("const char *")
@@ -72,3 +73,8 @@ print("Python version")
 b = B()
 call_f(b)
 
+print(StrIssue(3))
+try:
+    print(StrIssue("no", "such", "constructor"))
+except TypeError as e:
+    print("Failed as expected: " + str(e))
diff --git a/example/issues.ref b/example/issues.ref
index 58cc7985..0386d2c6 100644
--- a/example/issues.ref
+++ b/example/issues.ref
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ Python version
 PyA.PyA()
 PyA.f()
 In python f()
+StrIssue.__str__ called
+StrIssue[3]
+Failed as expected: Incompatible constructor arguments. The following argument types are supported:
+    1. example.issues.StrIssue(int)
+    2. example.issues.StrIssue()
+    Invoked with: no, such, constructor
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 5718d031..02296671 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -445,17 +445,38 @@ protected:
         }
 
         if (result.ptr() == PYBIND11_TRY_NEXT_OVERLOAD) {
-            std::string msg = "Incompatible function arguments. The "
-                              "following argument types are supported:\n";
+            std::string msg = "Incompatible " + std::string(overloads->is_constructor ? "constructor" : "function") +
+                              " arguments. The following argument types are supported:\n";
             int ctr = 0;
             for (detail::function_record *it2 = overloads; it2 != nullptr; it2 = it2->next) {
                 msg += "    "+ std::to_string(++ctr) + ". ";
-                msg += it2->signature;
+
+                bool wrote_sig = false;
+                if (overloads->is_constructor) {
+                    // For a constructor, rewrite `(Object, arg0, ...) -> NoneType` as `Object(arg0, ...)`
+                    std::string sig = it2->signature;
+                    size_t start = sig.find('(') + 1;
+                    if (start < sig.size()) {
+                        // End at the , for the next argument
+                        size_t end = sig.find(", "), next = end + 2;
+                        size_t ret = sig.rfind(" -> ");
+                        // Or the ), if there is no comma:
+                        if (end >= sig.size()) next = end = sig.find(')');
+                        if (start < end && next < sig.size()) {
+                            msg.append(sig, start, end - start);
+                            msg += '(';
+                            msg.append(sig, next, ret - next);
+                            wrote_sig = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!wrote_sig) msg += it2->signature;
+
                 msg += "\n";
             }
             msg += "    Invoked with: ";
             tuple args_(args, true);
-            for( std::size_t ti = 0; ti != args_.size(); ++ti)
+            for( std::size_t ti = overloads->is_constructor ? 1 : 0; ti < args_.size(); ++ti)
             {
                 msg += static_cast<std::string>(static_cast<object>(args_[ti]).str());
                 if ((ti + 1) != args_.size() )