diff --git a/lib/cache/store.go b/lib/cache/store.go
index a605ab75c21d5..d9c338d13b193 100644
--- a/lib/cache/store.go
+++ b/lib/cache/store.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package cache
 
 import (
 	"iter"
+	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ func (s *store[T, I]) len() int {
 func (s *store[T, I]) get(index I, key string) (T, error) {
 	t, ok := s.cache.Get(index, key)
 	if !ok {
-		return t, trace.NotFound("no value for key %q in index %v", key, index)
+		return t, trace.NotFound("%v %q does not exist", reflect.TypeFor[T](), key)
 	}
 
 	return t, nil
diff --git a/lib/cache/store_test.go b/lib/cache/store_test.go
index 79bfa5ccad893..215d0540b8368 100644
--- a/lib/cache/store_test.go
+++ b/lib/cache/store_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestResourceStore(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 0, zero)
 
 	n, err := store.get("numbers", "1000")
-	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `no value for key "1000" in index numbers`})
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `int "1000" does not exist`})
 	require.Equal(t, 0, n)
 
 	v, err := store.get("characters", "1c")
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ func TestResourceStore(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.NoError(t, store.delete(0))
 	_, err = store.get("numbers", "0")
-	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `no value for key "0" in index numbers`})
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `int "0" does not exist`})
 
 	require.NoError(t, store.clear())
 
 	_, err = store.get("numbers", "0")
-	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `no value for key "0" in index numbers`})
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, &trace.NotFoundError{Message: `int "0" does not exist`})
 
 	require.Zero(t, store.len())
 }