diff --git a/builtin/rev-parse.c b/builtin/rev-parse.c
index fde8861ca4..917f122440 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-parse.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-parse.c
@@ -893,13 +893,15 @@ int cmd_rev_parse(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			}
 			if (opt_with_value(arg, "--branches", &arg)) {
 				if (ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-					return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --branches"));
+					return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+						     "--exclude-hidden", "--branches");
 				handle_ref_opt(arg, "refs/heads/");
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (opt_with_value(arg, "--tags", &arg)) {
 				if (ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-					return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --tags"));
+					return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+						     "--exclude-hidden", "--tags");
 				handle_ref_opt(arg, "refs/tags/");
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -909,7 +911,8 @@ int cmd_rev_parse(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			}
 			if (opt_with_value(arg, "--remotes", &arg)) {
 				if (ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-					return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --remotes"));
+					return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+						     "--exclude-hidden", "--remotes");
 				handle_ref_opt(arg, "refs/remotes/");
 				continue;
 			}
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 34bd386a81..70c8a92f21 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2709,7 +2709,8 @@ static int handle_revision_pseudo_opt(struct rev_info *revs,
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--branches")) {
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --branches"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--branches");
 		handle_refs(refs, revs, *flags, refs_for_each_branch_ref);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--bisect")) {
@@ -2720,12 +2721,14 @@ static int handle_revision_pseudo_opt(struct rev_info *revs,
 		revs->bisect = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--tags")) {
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --tags"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--tags");
 		handle_refs(refs, revs, *flags, refs_for_each_tag_ref);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--remotes")) {
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --remotes"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--remotes");
 		handle_refs(refs, revs, *flags, refs_for_each_remote_ref);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if ((argcount = parse_long_opt("glob", argv, &optarg))) {
@@ -2743,21 +2746,24 @@ static int handle_revision_pseudo_opt(struct rev_info *revs,
 	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--branches=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --branches"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--branches");
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/heads/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--tags=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --tags"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--tags");
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/tags/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--remotes=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		if (revs->ref_excludes.hidden_refs_configured)
-			return error(_("--exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --remotes"));
+			return error(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
+				     "--exclude-hidden", "--remotes");
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/remotes/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusions(&revs->ref_excludes);
diff --git a/t/t6018-rev-list-glob.sh b/t/t6018-rev-list-glob.sh
index 67d523d405..3b181f771c 100755
--- a/t/t6018-rev-list-glob.sh
+++ b/t/t6018-rev-list-glob.sh
@@ -214,15 +214,13 @@ do
 	for pseudoopt in branches tags remotes
 	do
 		test_expect_success "rev-parse --exclude-hidden=$section fails with --$pseudoopt" '
-			echo "error: --exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --$pseudoopt" >expected &&
 			test_must_fail git rev-parse --exclude-hidden=$section --$pseudoopt 2>err &&
-			test_cmp expected err
+			test_grep "error: options .--exclude-hidden. and .--$pseudoopt. cannot be used together" err
 		'
 
 		test_expect_success "rev-parse --exclude-hidden=$section fails with --$pseudoopt=pattern" '
-			echo "error: --exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --$pseudoopt" >expected &&
 			test_must_fail git rev-parse --exclude-hidden=$section --$pseudoopt=pattern 2>err &&
-			test_cmp expected err
+			test_grep "error: options .--exclude-hidden. and .--$pseudoopt. cannot be used together" err
 		'
 	done
 done
diff --git a/t/t6021-rev-list-exclude-hidden.sh b/t/t6021-rev-list-exclude-hidden.sh
index cdf7aa9427..51df02105d 100755
--- a/t/t6021-rev-list-exclude-hidden.sh
+++ b/t/t6021-rev-list-exclude-hidden.sh
@@ -151,12 +151,12 @@ do
 	do
 		test_expect_success "$section: fails with --$pseudoopt" '
 			test_must_fail git rev-list --exclude-hidden=$section --$pseudoopt 2>err &&
-			test_grep "error: --exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --$pseudoopt" err
+			test_grep "error: options .--exclude-hidden. and .--$pseudoopt. cannot be used together" err
 		'
 
 		test_expect_success "$section: fails with --$pseudoopt=pattern" '
 			test_must_fail git rev-list --exclude-hidden=$section --$pseudoopt=pattern 2>err &&
-			test_grep "error: --exclude-hidden cannot be used together with --$pseudoopt" err
+			test_grep "error: options .--exclude-hidden. and .--$pseudoopt. cannot be used together" err
 		'
 	done
 done