diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/AssertionsJVM.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/AssertionsJVM.kt
index f497d32cf17..c974cbf8654 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/AssertionsJVM.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/AssertionsJVM.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ deprecated("Must be public to make assert() inlinable")
 public val ASSERTIONS_ENABLED: Boolean = _Assertions.javaClass.desiredAssertionStatus()
 
 /**
-* Throws an [[AssertionError]] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false
+* Throws an [AssertionError] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false
 * and runtime assertions have been enabled on the JVM using the *-ea* JVM option.
 */
 public fun assert(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Assertion failed") {
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ public fun assert(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Assertion failed") {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[AssertionError]] with the specified *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false
+ * Throws an [AssertionError] calculated by *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false
  * and runtime assertions have been enabled on the JVM using the *-ea* JVM option.
  */
-public inline fun assert(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> String) {
+public inline fun assert(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> Any) {
     if (ASSERTIONS_ENABLED) {
         if (!value) {
             val message = lazyMessage()
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Preconditions.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Preconditions.kt
index c08bf38b8c2..8646dcf21c9 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Preconditions.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Preconditions.kt
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ import java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
 import java.lang.IllegalStateException
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalArgumentException]] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false.
+ * Throws an [IllegalArgumentException] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false.
  *
- * @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt failingRequireWithMessage
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.failingRequireWithMessage}
  */
 public fun require(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Failed requirement"): Unit {
     if (!value) {
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ public fun require(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Failed requirement"): Unit {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalArgumentException]] with the *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false.
+ * Throws an [IllegalArgumentException] with the *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false.
  *
- * @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt failingRequireWithLazyMessage
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.failingRequireWithLazyMessage}
  */
-public inline fun require(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> String): Unit {
+public inline fun require(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> Any): Unit {
     if (!value) {
         val message = lazyMessage()
         throw IllegalArgumentException(message.toString())
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ public inline fun require(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> String): Unit {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalArgumentException]] with the given *message* if the *value* is null otherwise
+ * Throws an [IllegalArgumentException] with the given *message* if the *value* is null otherwise
  * the not null value is returned.
  *
- *  @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt requireNotNull
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.requireNotNull}
  */
 public fun <T:Any> requireNotNull(value: T?, message: Any = "Required value was null"): T {
     if (value == null) {
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ public fun <T:Any> requireNotNull(value: T?, message: Any = "Required value was
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalStateException]] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false.
+ * Throws an [IllegalStateException] with an optional *message* if the *value* is false.
  *
- * @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt failingCheckWithMessage
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.failingCheckWithMessage}
  */
 public fun check(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Check failed"): Unit {
     if (!value) {
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ public fun check(value: Boolean, message: Any = "Check failed"): Unit {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalStateException]] with the *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false.
+ * Throws an [IllegalStateException] with the *lazyMessage* if the *value* is false.
  *
- * @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt failingCheckWithLazyMessage
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.failingCheckWithLazyMessage}
  */
-public inline fun check(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> String): Unit {
+public inline fun check(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> Any): Unit {
     if (!value) {
         val message = lazyMessage()
         throw IllegalStateException(message.toString())
@@ -65,17 +65,22 @@ public inline fun check(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> String): Unit {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws an [[IllegalStateException]] with the given *message* if the *value* is null otherwise
+ * Throws an [IllegalStateException] with the given *message* if the *value* is null otherwise
  * the not null value is returned.
  *
- *  @includeFunctionBody ../../test/PreconditionsTest.kt checkNotNull
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.checkNotNull}
  */
-public fun <T:Any> checkNotNull(value: T?, message: String = "Required value was null"): T {
+public fun <T:Any> checkNotNull(value: T?, message: Any = "Required value was null"): T {
     if (value == null) {
-        throw IllegalStateException(message)
+        throw IllegalStateException(message.toString())
     } else {
         return value
     }
 }
 
-public fun error(message: String): Nothing = throw RuntimeException(message)
+/**
+ * Throws an [IllegalStateException] with the given *message*
+ *
+ * ${code test.collections.PreconditionsTest.error}
+ */
+public fun error(message: Any): Nothing = throw IllegalStateException(message.toString())
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/test/PreconditionsTest.kt b/libraries/stdlib/test/PreconditionsTest.kt
index c88448050ff..9bc75893d81 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/test/PreconditionsTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/test/PreconditionsTest.kt
@@ -117,6 +117,17 @@ class PreconditionsTest() {
         }
     }
 
+    test fun error() {
+        val error = fails {
+            error("There was a problem")
+        }
+        if (error is IllegalStateException) {
+            assertEquals("There was a problem", error.getMessage())
+        } else {
+            fail("Invalid exception type: " + error)
+        }
+    }
+
     test fun passingAssertWithMessage() {
         assert(true, "Hello")
     }