diff --git a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
index abac07e4d..6a04d8780 100644
--- a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
+++ b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
@@ -646,9 +646,9 @@ public:
                         if (modp->hierBlock()) {
                             refLocationp->v3error("Cannot access inside hierarchical block");
                         } else if (VN_IS(modp, NotFoundModule)) {
-                            refLocationp->v3error(
-                                "Dotted reference to cell that refers to missing module: "
-                                << modp->prettyNameQ());
+                            refLocationp->v3error("Dotted reference to instance that refers to "
+                                                  "missing module/interface: "
+                                                  << modp->prettyNameQ());
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.out b/test_regress/t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.out
index 91c44c4e3..025688ecb 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.out
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.out
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-%Error: t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.v:9:22: Dotted reference to cell that refers to missing module: 'missing'
+%Error: t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.v:9:22: Dotted reference to instance that refers to missing module/interface: 'missing'
     9 |       $display("a=", missing.a);
       |                      ^~~~~~~
 %Error: t/t_inst_missing_dot_bad.v:9:30: Can't find definition of 'a' in dotted variable: 'missing.a'