diff --git a/src/unexpand.c b/src/unexpand.c
index 4fbf9d3f8..3cbff1b12 100644
--- a/src/unexpand.c
+++ b/src/unexpand.c
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
               have_tabval = true;
             }
           if (!DECIMAL_DIGIT_ACCUMULATE (tabval, c - '0'))
-            error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("tab stop value is too large"));
+            error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("tab stop is too large"));
           break;
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/unexpand/unexpand.pl b/tests/unexpand/unexpand.pl
index fd64f0fc4..d46d12324 100755
--- a/tests/unexpand/unexpand.pl
+++ b/tests/unexpand/unexpand.pl
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ my @Tests =
      # It is debatable whether this test should require an environment
      # setting of e.g., _POSIX2_VERSION=1.
      ['obs-ovflo', "-$limits->{UINTMAX_OFLOW}", {IN=>''}, {OUT=>''},
-      {EXIT => 1}, {ERR => "$prog: tab stop value is too large\n"}],
+      {EXIT => 1}, {ERR => "$prog: tab stop is too large\n"}],
 
 
      # Test input with backspaces '\b' ('bs1' is the baseline, without \b)