diff --git a/sbin/route/route.8 b/sbin/route/route.8
index a6d8b72706e3..13ab5ced7948 100644
--- a/sbin/route/route.8
+++ b/sbin/route/route.8
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@
 .\"     @(#)route.8	8.3 (Berkeley) 3/19/94
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd March 19, 1994
+.Dd June 8, 2001
 .Dt ROUTE 8
-.Os BSD 4.4
+.Os
 .Sh NAME
 .Nm route
 .Nd manually manipulate the routing tables
@@ -362,6 +362,12 @@ wasn't present in the tables.
 An add operation was attempted, but the system was
 low on resources and was unable to allocate memory
 to create the new entry.
+.It "gateway uses the same route"
+A
+.Cm change
+operation resulted in a route whose gateway uses the
+same route as the one being changed.
+The next-hop gateway should be reachable through a different route.
 .El
 .Pp
 The
diff --git a/sbin/route/route.c b/sbin/route/route.c
index 467dbe18d4d6..2b7d246704ce 100644
--- a/sbin/route/route.c
+++ b/sbin/route/route.c
@@ -741,6 +741,9 @@ newroute(argc, argv)
 		case ENOBUFS:
 			err = "routing table overflow";
 			break;
+		case EDQUOT: /* handle recursion avoidance in rt_setgate() */
+			err = "gateway uses the same route";
+			break;
 		default:
 			err = strerror(oerrno);
 			break;