diff --git a/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.js b/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.js
index 7cc18f55ab73b..8081a371d4618 100644
--- a/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.js
+++ b/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.js
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ export function assertVersion(settings) {
   const actual = cleanVersion(settings.plugins[0].kibanaVersion);
   const expected = cleanVersion(settings.version);
   if (!versionSatisfies(actual, expected)) {
-    throw new Error (`Incorrect Kibana version in plugin [${settings.plugins[0].name}]. ` +
-      `Expected [${expected}]; found [${actual}]`);
+    throw new Error(`Plugin ${settings.plugins[0].name} [${actual}] is incompatible with Kibana [${expected}]`);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.test.js b/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.test.js
index 641c3da09807b..e77d82258e209 100644
--- a/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.test.js
+++ b/src/cli_plugin/install/kibana.test.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ describe('kibana cli', function () {
         it('should throw an error if plugin kibanaVersion does not match kibana version', function () {
           settings.plugins[0].kibanaVersion = '1.2.3.4';
 
-          expect(() => assertVersion(settings)).toThrow(/incorrect kibana version/i);
+          expect(() => assertVersion(settings)).toThrow(/incompatible with Kibana/i);
         });
 
         it('should not throw an error if plugin kibanaVersion matches kibana version', function () {
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ describe('kibana cli', function () {
         it('should ignore version info after the dash in checks on invalid version', function () {
           settings.plugins[0].kibanaVersion = '2.0.0-foo-bar-version-1.2.3';
 
-          expect(() => assertVersion(settings)).toThrow(/incorrect kibana version/i);
+          expect(() => assertVersion(settings)).toThrow(/incompatible with Kibana/i);
         });
       });