diff --git a/src/builtins/complete.cpp b/src/builtins/complete.cpp
index 98b6d6406..f13b5d825 100644
--- a/src/builtins/complete.cpp
+++ b/src/builtins/complete.cpp
@@ -340,11 +340,11 @@ maybe_t<int> builtin_complete(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, const wch
     for (const auto &condition_string : condition) {
         parse_error_list_t errors;
         if (parse_util_detect_errors(condition_string, &errors)) {
-            streams.err.append_format(L"%ls: Condition '%ls' contained a syntax error", cmd,
-                                      condition_string.c_str());
             for (const auto &error : errors) {
-                streams.err.append_format(L"\n%ls: ", cmd);
-                streams.err.append(error.describe(condition_string, parser.is_interactive()));
+                wcstring prefix(wcstring(cmd) + L": -n '" + condition_string + L"': ");
+                streams.err.append(error.describe_with_prefix(condition_string, prefix,
+                                                              parser.is_interactive(), false));
+                streams.err.push_back(L'\n');
             }
             return STATUS_CMD_ERROR;
         }
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ maybe_t<int> builtin_complete(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, const wch
         prefix.append(L": ");
 
         if (maybe_t<wcstring> err_text = parse_util_detect_errors_in_argument_list(comp, prefix)) {
-            streams.err.append_format(L"%ls: Completion '%ls' contained a syntax error\n", cmd,
+            streams.err.append_format(L"%ls: %ls: contains a syntax error\n", cmd,
                                       comp);
             streams.err.append(*err_text);
             streams.err.push_back(L'\n');
diff --git a/src/expand.cpp b/src/expand.cpp
index d6f091131..88f745958 100644
--- a/src/expand.cpp
+++ b/src/expand.cpp
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ expand_result_t expander_t::stage_cmdsubst(wcstring input, completion_receiver_t
                 }
                 return expand_result_t::ok;
             case 1:
-                append_cmdsub_error(errors, start, end, L"Command substitutions not allowed");
+                append_cmdsub_error(errors, start, end, L"command substitutions not allowed here");
                 /* intentionally falls through */
             case -1:
             default:
diff --git a/tests/checks/complete.fish b/tests/checks/complete.fish
index 42f8845de..ce8a7b07e 100644
--- a/tests/checks/complete.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/complete.fish
@@ -469,8 +469,7 @@ complete -c thing -x -F
 # Multiple conditions
 complete -f -c shot
 complete -fc shot -n 'test (count (commandline -opc) -eq 1' -n 'test (commandline -opc)[-1] = shot' -a 'through'
-# CHECKERR: complete: Condition 'test (count (commandline -opc) -eq 1' contained a syntax error
-# CHECKERR: complete: Unexpected end of string, expecting ')'
+# CHECKERR: complete: -n 'test (count (commandline -opc) -eq 1': Unexpected end of string, expecting ')'
 # CHECKERR: test (count (commandline -opc) -eq 1
 # CHECKERR: ^
 complete -fc shot -n 'test (count (commandline -opc)) -eq 1' -n 'test (commandline -opc)[-1] = shot' -a 'through'
diff --git a/tests/checks/expansion.fish b/tests/checks/expansion.fish
index 3e178fb00..3723904b0 100644
--- a/tests/checks/expansion.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/expansion.fish
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ $fish -c 'echo {}}'
 #CHECKERR: echo {}}
 #CHECKERR: ^
 printf '<%s>\n' ($fish -c 'command (asd)' 2>&1)
-#CHECK: <fish: Command substitutions not allowed>
+#CHECK: <fish: command substitutions not allowed here>
 #CHECK: <command (asd)>
 #CHECK: <        ^~~~^>
 true
diff --git a/tests/checks/syntax-error-location.fish b/tests/checks/syntax-error-location.fish
index 6590a7f76..42b06a92d 100644
--- a/tests/checks/syntax-error-location.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/syntax-error-location.fish
@@ -19,15 +19,15 @@ echo 'true | time false' | $fish 2>| string replace -r '(.*)' '<$1>'
 
 echo '
 
-(true one)
+FOO=BAR (true one)
 (true two)
 
 # more things
 ' | $fish 2>| string replace -r '(.*)' '<$1>'
 
-# CHECK: <fish: Command substitutions not allowed>
-# CHECK: <(true one)>
-# CHECK: <^~~~~~~~~^>
+# CHECK: <fish: command substitutions not allowed here>
+# CHECK: <FOO=BAR (true one)>
+# CHECK: <        ^~~~~~~~~^>
 
 $fish -c 'echo "unfinished "(subshell' 2>| string replace -r '.*' '<$0>'
 # CHECK: <fish: Unexpected end of string, expecting ')'>