diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index a6c54f4569..ab2c77a3fb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -3426,7 +3426,7 @@ func typecheckas2(n *Node) {
 	}
 
 mismatch:
-	yyerror("cannot assign %d values to %d variables", cr, cl)
+	yyerror("assignment mismatch: %d variables but %d values", cl, cr)
 
 	// second half of dance
 out:
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
index a3f729557c..3fc7fb2eef 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug289.go
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@
 package main
 
 func f1() {
-	a, b := f()	// ERROR "cannot assign|does not match"
+	a, b := f()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match"
 	_ = a
 	_ = b
 }
 
 func f2() {
 	var a, b int
-	a, b = f()	// ERROR "cannot assign|does not match"
+	a, b = f()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch|does not match"
 	_ = a
 	_ = b
 }
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug487.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug487.go
index 60a4ea9808..ab61a19a94 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug487.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug487.go
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ func G() (int, int, int) {
 }
 
 func F() {
-	a, b := G()	// ERROR "cannot assign"
-	a, b = G()	// ERROR "cannot assign"
+	a, b := G()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch"
+	a, b = G()	// ERROR "assignment mismatch"
 	_, _ = a, b
 }