diff --git a/doc/source/zuul.rst b/doc/source/zuul.rst
index 6d3b44a64f..884e25f043 100644
--- a/doc/source/zuul.rst
+++ b/doc/source/zuul.rst
@@ -950,9 +950,10 @@ Here is an example of setting the failure message for jobs that check
 whether a change merges cleanly::
 
   - name: ^.*-merge$
-    failure-message: This change was unable to be automatically merged
-    with the current state of the repository. Please rebase your
-    change and upload a new patchset.
+    failure-message: This change or one of its cross-repo dependencies
+    was unable to be automatically merged with the current state of
+    its repository. Please rebase the change and upload a new
+    patchset.
 
 Projects
 """"""""
diff --git a/tests/test_scheduler.py b/tests/test_scheduler.py
index 5b9a39dc9c..6c82748b14 100755
--- a/tests/test_scheduler.py
+++ b/tests/test_scheduler.py
@@ -3113,9 +3113,10 @@ For CI problems and help debugging, contact ci@example.org"""
         self.registerJobs()
 
         self.assertEqual(
-            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change was unable to be automatically "
-            "merged with the current state of the repository. Please rebase "
-            "your change and upload a new patchset.",
+            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change or one of its cross-repo "
+            "dependencies was unable to be automatically merged with the "
+            "current state of its repository. Please rebase the change and "
+            "upload a new patchset.",
             self.sched.layout.pipelines['check'].merge_failure_message)
         self.assertEqual(
             "The merge failed! For more information...",
diff --git a/tests/test_zuultrigger.py b/tests/test_zuultrigger.py
index 2f0e4f0529..0d52fc9eee 100644
--- a/tests/test_zuultrigger.py
+++ b/tests/test_zuultrigger.py
@@ -107,9 +107,10 @@ class TestZuulTrigger(ZuulTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(E.reported, 0)
         self.assertEqual(
             B.messages[0],
-            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change was unable to be automatically "
-            "merged with the current state of the repository. Please rebase "
-            "your change and upload a new patchset.")
+            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change or one of its cross-repo "
+            "dependencies was unable to be automatically merged with the "
+            "current state of its repository. Please rebase the change and "
+            "upload a new patchset.")
 
         self.assertTrue("project:org/project status:open" in
                         self.fake_gerrit.queries)
@@ -133,8 +134,9 @@ class TestZuulTrigger(ZuulTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(E.reported, 1)
         self.assertEqual(
             E.messages[0],
-            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change was unable to be automatically "
-            "merged with the current state of the repository. Please rebase "
-            "your change and upload a new patchset.")
+            "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change or one of its cross-repo "
+            "dependencies was unable to be automatically merged with the "
+            "current state of its repository. Please rebase the change and "
+            "upload a new patchset.")
         self.assertEqual(self.fake_gerrit.queries[1],
                          "project:org/project status:open")
diff --git a/zuul/scheduler.py b/zuul/scheduler.py
index 2d074cc53c..a3d9978fff 100644
--- a/zuul/scheduler.py
+++ b/zuul/scheduler.py
@@ -272,9 +272,10 @@ class Scheduler(threading.Thread):
             pipeline.failure_message = conf_pipeline.get('failure-message',
                                                          "Build failed.")
             pipeline.merge_failure_message = conf_pipeline.get(
-                'merge-failure-message', "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change was "
-                "unable to be automatically merged with the current state of "
-                "the repository. Please rebase your change and upload a new "
+                'merge-failure-message', "Merge Failed.\n\nThis change or one "
+                "of its cross-repo dependencies was unable to be "
+                "automatically merged with the current state of its "
+                "repository. Please rebase the change and upload a new "
                 "patchset.")
             pipeline.success_message = conf_pipeline.get('success-message',
                                                          "Build succeeded.")