diff --git a/lib/deprecatedlib.php b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
index 44ea6bfa52d..44ed07e5291 100644
--- a/lib/deprecatedlib.php
+++ b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
@@ -2252,7 +2252,7 @@ function print_side_block($heading='', $content='', $list=NULL, $icons=NULL, $fo
     }
     $bc->attributes = $attributes;
 
-    echo $OUTPUT->block($bc);
+    echo $OUTPUT->block($bc, BLOCK_POS_LEFT); // POS LEFT may be wrong, but no way to get a better guess here.
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2269,7 +2269,7 @@ function print_side_block($heading='', $content='', $list=NULL, $icons=NULL, $fo
  * @deprecated
  */
 function print_side_block_start($heading='', $attributes = array()) {
-    throw new coding_exception('print_side_block_start has been deprecated. Please cahnge your code to use $OUTPUT->block().');
+    throw new coding_exception('print_side_block_start has been deprecated. Please change your code to use $OUTPUT->block().');
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2282,7 +2282,7 @@ function print_side_block_start($heading='', $attributes = array()) {
  * @deprecated
  */
 function print_side_block_end($attributes = array(), $title='') {
-    throw new coding_exception('print_side_block_end has been deprecated. Please cahnge your code to use $OUTPUT->block().');
+    throw new coding_exception('print_side_block_end has been deprecated. Please change your code to use $OUTPUT->block().');
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/outputlib.php b/lib/outputlib.php
index 726fb111bbb..844ec8df8a0 100644
--- a/lib/outputlib.php
+++ b/lib/outputlib.php
@@ -2075,9 +2075,10 @@ class moodle_core_renderer extends moodle_renderer_base {
      * by a {@link block_contents} object.
      *
      * @param block_contents $bc HTML for the content
+     * @param string $region the region the block is appearing in.
      * @return string the HTML to be output.
      */
-    function block($bc) {
+    function block($bc, $region) {
         $bc = clone($bc); // Avoid messing up the object passed in.
         $bc->prepare();
 
@@ -2170,7 +2171,7 @@ class moodle_core_renderer extends moodle_renderer_base {
         $blockcontents = $this->page->blocks->get_content_for_region($region, $this);
         $output = '';
         foreach ($blockcontents as $bc) {
-            $output .= $this->block($bc);
+            $output .= $this->block($bc, $region);
         }
         return $output;
     }