diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
index 953cbd3bd4c..916bbed6e4e 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(atoms)
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_NO_HINT)
 			. += "- Didn't return an Initialize hint\n"
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_QDEL_BEFORE)
-			. += "- Qdel'd in New()\n"
+			. += "- Qdel'd before Initialize proc ran\n"
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_SLEPT)
 			. += "- Slept during Initialize()\n"
 
diff --git a/code/modules/unit_tests/create_and_destroy.dm b/code/modules/unit_tests/create_and_destroy.dm
index e0e763ebb85..0c9498b19bf 100644
--- a/code/modules/unit_tests/create_and_destroy.dm
+++ b/code/modules/unit_tests/create_and_destroy.dm
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(running_create_and_destroy, FALSE)
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_NO_HINT)
 			TEST_FAIL("[path] didn't return an Initialize hint")
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_QDEL_BEFORE)
-			TEST_FAIL("[path] qdel'd in New()")
+			TEST_FAIL("[path] qdel'd before we could call Initialize()")
 		if(fails & BAD_INIT_SLEPT)
 			TEST_FAIL("[path] slept during Initialize()")