diff --git a/be/assertions.go b/be/assertions.go
index 1e91037..f2172a6 100644
--- a/be/assertions.go
+++ b/be/assertions.go
@@ -190,23 +190,48 @@ func ErrorContaining(err error, msg string) ghost.Result {
 	switch {
 	case err == nil && argMsg == fmt.Sprintf("%q", msg):
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      false,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`%v is nil; missing error message: %v`, argErr, msg),
+			Ok: false,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v is nil, does not contain message
+got:  <nil>
+want: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				msg,
+			),
 		}
 	case err == nil:
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      false,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`%v is nil; missing error message %v: %v`, argErr, argMsg, msg),
+			Ok: false,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v is nil, does not contain %v
+got:  <nil>
+want: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				argMsg,
+				msg,
+			),
 		}
 	case strings.Contains(err.Error(), msg):
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      true,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf("%v contains error message %q: %v", argErr, msg, err),
+			Ok: true,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v contains message %v
+got:  %v
+want: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				argMsg,
+				err,
+				msg,
+			),
 		}
 	default:
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      false,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf("%v does not contain error message %q: %v", argErr, msg, err),
+			Ok: false,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v does not contain message %v
+got:  %v
+want: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				argMsg,
+				err,
+				msg,
+			),
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -214,25 +239,42 @@ func ErrorContaining(err error, msg string) ghost.Result {
 // ErrorEqual asserts that an error string equals a particular message.
 func ErrorEqual(err error, msg string) ghost.Result {
 	args := ghostlib.ArgsFromAST(err, msg)
-	argErr := args[0]
+	argErr, argMsg := args[0], args[1]
 
 	if err == nil {
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      false,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`%v is nil; want message: %v`, argErr, msg),
+			Ok: false,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v is nil
+got:  <nil>
+want: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				msg,
+			),
 		}
 	}
 
 	if err.Error() == msg {
 		return ghost.Result{
-			Ok:      true,
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf("%v equals error message %q: %v", argErr, msg, err),
+			Ok: true,
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v has message %v
+value: %v`,
+				argErr,
+				argMsg,
+				err,
+			),
 		}
 	}
 
 	return ghost.Result{
-		Ok:      false,
-		Message: fmt.Sprintf("%v does not equal error message %q: %v", argErr, msg, err),
+		Ok: false,
+		Message: fmt.Sprintf(`error %v does not have message %v
+got:  %v
+want: %v`,
+			argErr,
+			argMsg,
+			err,
+			msg,
+		),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/be/assertions_test.go b/be/assertions_test.go
index 8b89a97..1a11c13 100644
--- a/be/assertions_test.go
+++ b/be/assertions_test.go
@@ -353,14 +353,18 @@ func TestErrorContaining(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Should(be.True(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`err contains error message "oob": foobar`,
+			`error err contains message msg
+got:  foobar
+want: oob`,
 		))
 
 		result = be.ErrorContaining(errors.New("foobar"), "oob")
 		g.Should(be.True(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`errors.New("foobar") contains error message "oob": foobar`,
+			`error errors.New("foobar") contains message "oob"
+got:  foobar
+want: oob`,
 		))
 	})
 
@@ -374,14 +378,18 @@ func TestErrorContaining(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`err does not contain error message "boo": foobar`,
+			`error err does not contain message msg
+got:  foobar
+want: boo`,
 		))
 
 		result = be.ErrorContaining(errors.New("foobar"), "boo")
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`errors.New("foobar") does not contain error message "boo": foobar`,
+			`error errors.New("foobar") does not contain message "boo"
+got:  foobar
+want: boo`,
 		))
 	})
 
@@ -393,11 +401,15 @@ func TestErrorContaining(t *testing.T) {
 
 		result := be.ErrorContaining(err, msg)
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
-		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `err is nil; missing error message msg: boo`))
+		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `error err is nil, does not contain msg
+got:  <nil>
+want: boo`))
 
 		result = be.ErrorContaining(nil, "boo")
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
-		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `nil is nil; missing error message: boo`))
+		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `error nil is nil, does not contain message
+got:  <nil>
+want: boo`))
 	})
 }
 
@@ -412,14 +424,16 @@ func TestErrorEqual(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Should(be.True(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`err equals error message "foobar": foobar`,
+			`error err has message msg
+value: foobar`,
 		))
 
 		result = be.ErrorEqual(errors.New("foobar"), "foobar")
 		g.Should(be.True(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`errors.New("foobar") equals error message "foobar": foobar`,
+			`error errors.New("foobar") has message "foobar"
+value: foobar`,
 		))
 	})
 
@@ -433,14 +447,18 @@ func TestErrorEqual(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`err does not equal error message "boo": foobar`,
+			`error err does not have message msg
+got:  foobar
+want: boo`,
 		))
 
 		result = be.ErrorEqual(errors.New("foobar"), "boo")
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
 		g.Should(be.Equal(
 			result.Message,
-			`errors.New("foobar") does not equal error message "boo": foobar`,
+			`error errors.New("foobar") does not have message "boo"
+got:  foobar
+want: boo`,
 		))
 	})
 
@@ -452,11 +470,15 @@ func TestErrorEqual(t *testing.T) {
 
 		result := be.ErrorEqual(err, msg)
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
-		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `err is nil; want message: boo`))
+		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `error err is nil
+got:  <nil>
+want: boo`))
 
 		result = be.ErrorEqual(nil, "boo")
 		g.Should(be.False(result.Ok))
-		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `nil is nil; want message: boo`))
+		g.Should(be.Equal(result.Message, `error nil is nil
+got:  <nil>
+want: boo`))
 	})
 }