diff --git a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/DynamicAttributeConstructor.java b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/DynamicAttributeConstructor.java
index 8bfc1bb919e..d13e0244a5d 100644
--- a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/DynamicAttributeConstructor.java
+++ b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/DynamicAttributeConstructor.java
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ public Sequence eval(Sequence contextSequence, Item contextItem) throws XPathExc
 					throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XQDY0074, "'" + nameSeq.getStringValue() + "' is not a valid attribute name");
 				}
 
-            //Not in the specs but... makes sense
-            if(!XMLNames.isName(qn.getLocalPart()))
-            	{throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XQDY0074, "'" + qn.getLocalPart() + "' is not a valid attribute name");}
+            // Catch illegal QNames
+            if (!XMLNames.isName(qn.getLocalPart())) {
+                throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XPTY0004, "'" + qn.getLocalPart() + "' is not a valid attribute name");
+            }
             
             if ("xmlns".equals(qn.getLocalPart()) && qn.getNamespaceURI().isEmpty())
             	{throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XQDY0044, "'" + qn.getLocalPart() + "' is not a valid attribute name");}
diff --git a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ElementConstructor.java b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ElementConstructor.java
index 7b95fc1d655..fbb8d2d8ee9 100644
--- a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ElementConstructor.java
+++ b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ElementConstructor.java
@@ -304,9 +304,9 @@ public Sequence eval(final Sequence contextSequence, final Item contextItem) thr
                 }
             }
 
-            //Not in the specs but... makes sense
+            // Catch Illegal QNames
             if (!XMLNames.isName(qn.getLocalPart())) {
-                throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XQDY0074, "'" + qnitem.getStringValue() + "' is not a valid element name");
+                throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XPTY0004, "'" + qnitem.getStringValue() + "' is not a valid element name");
             }
 
             // add namespace declaration nodes