diff --git a/src/build-helpers/package-version b/src/build-helpers/package-version
index 967f41618..e8b2faaa1 100755
--- a/src/build-helpers/package-version
+++ b/src/build-helpers/package-version
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ test -f "$top_srcdir/../CMakeLists.txt" || { \
 if PROJECT_VERSION="$(${SED-sed} -n 's/project(avrdude[[:space:]]\{1,\}VERSION[[:space:]]\{1,\}\([0-9\.]\{1,\}\)[[:space:]]\{1,\}.*/\1/p' "$top_srcdir/../CMakeLists.txt")"; then
     :
 else
-    echo "$prog: Error: Could not parse top-level avrdude 'CMakeLists.txt'." >&2
+    echo "$prog: Error parsing top-level avrdude 'CMakeLists.txt'." >&2
     echo "version_error_4" | ${TR-tr} -d '\012'
     exit 2
 fi
 
 test -n "$PROJECT_VERSION" || { \
-    echo "$prog: Error: Could not parse top-level avrdude 'CMakeLists.txt' project(...) line" >&2; \
+    echo "$prog: Error: Could not find project(...) in top-level avrdude 'CMakeLists.txt'" >&2; \
     echo "version_error_5" | ${TR-tr} -d '\012'
     exit 2; \
 }