diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/back/lto.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/back/lto.rs
index 6afa649b6de32..0f5b1c08ec2dc 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/back/lto.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/back/lto.rs
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ fn fat_lto(
             info!("linking {:?}", name);
             let data = bc_decoded.data();
             linker.add(data).map_err(|()| {
-                let msg = format!("failed to load bc of {:?}", name);
+                let msg = format!("failed to load bitcode of module {:?}", name);
                 write::llvm_err(diag_handler, &msg)
             })?;
             serialized_bitcode.push(bc_decoded);
diff --git a/src/test/ui/lto/lto-duplicate-symbols.stderr b/src/test/ui/lto/lto-duplicate-symbols.stderr
index 50e6b81dcf4b4..f66afa94f4da7 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/lto/lto-duplicate-symbols.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/lto/lto-duplicate-symbols.stderr
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 warning: Linking globals named 'foo': symbol multiply defined!
 
-error: failed to load bc of "lto-duplicate-symbols2.lto_duplicate_symbols2.HASH-cgu.0.rcgu.o": 
+error: failed to load bitcode of module "lto-duplicate-symbols2.lto_duplicate_symbols2.HASH-cgu.0.rcgu.o": 
 
 error: aborting due to previous error; 1 warning emitted