diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-pin.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-pin.rb
index 16c3a77dba..32249cac22 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-pin.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-pin.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Homebrew
   def tap_pin
     ARGV.named.each do |name|
       tap = Tap.fetch(name)
-      raise "#{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
+      raise "pinning #{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
       tap.pin
       ohai "Pinned #{tap}"
     end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-unpin.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-unpin.rb
index 7a7a52fc82..dd4b69aaad 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-unpin.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap-unpin.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Homebrew
   def tap_unpin
     ARGV.named.each do |name|
       tap = Tap.fetch(name)
-      raise "#{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
+      raise "unpinning #{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
       tap.unpin
       ohai "Unpinned #{tap}"
     end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
index 2f1b8056ee..8f5d7de6ed 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module Homebrew
 
     ARGV.named.each do |tapname|
       tap = Tap.fetch(tapname)
-      raise "#{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
+      raise "untapping #{tap} is not allowed" if tap.core_tap?
       tap.uninstall
     end
   end