diff --git a/presubmit_canned_checks.py b/presubmit_canned_checks.py
index 7f90cc40a..39c491f7c 100644
--- a/presubmit_canned_checks.py
+++ b/presubmit_canned_checks.py
@@ -852,8 +852,9 @@ def CheckOwners(input_api, output_api, source_file_filter=None):
             'This is a dry run, but these failures would be reported on ' +
             'commit:\n' + text)
     else:
-      return [output_api.PresubmitError("OWNERS check failed: this change has "
-          "no Rietveld issue number, so we can't check it for approvals.")]
+      return [output_api.PresubmitError(
+          'OWNERS check failed: this CL has no Gerrit change number, '
+          'so we can\'t check it for approvals.')]
   else:
     needed = 'OWNER reviewers'
     output_fn = output_api.PresubmitNotifyResult
diff --git a/tests/presubmit_unittest.py b/tests/presubmit_unittest.py
index 6bc8841b6..d1cab3a60 100755
--- a/tests/presubmit_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/presubmit_unittest.py
@@ -2700,16 +2700,16 @@ class CannedChecksUnittest(PresubmitTestsBase):
 
   def testCannedCheckOwners_NoIssueNoFiles(self):
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
-        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this change has no Rietveld "
-                        "issue number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
+        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this CL has no Gerrit "
+                        "change number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None, is_committing=False,
         expected_output="")
 
   def testCannedCheckOwners_NoIssue(self):
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         uncovered_files=set(['foo']),
-        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this change has no Rietveld "
-                        "issue number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
+        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this CL has no Gerrit "
+                        "change number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         is_committing=False,
         uncovered_files=set(['foo']),
@@ -2720,8 +2720,8 @@ class CannedChecksUnittest(PresubmitTestsBase):
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         reviewers=set(['jane@example.com']),
         manually_specified_reviewers=['jane@example.com'],
-        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this change has no Rietveld "
-                        "issue number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
+        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this CL has no Gerrit "
+                        "change number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         reviewers=set(['jane@example.com']),
         manually_specified_reviewers=['jane@example.com'],
@@ -2732,8 +2732,8 @@ class CannedChecksUnittest(PresubmitTestsBase):
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         reviewers=set(['jane']),
         manually_specified_reviewers=['jane@example.com'],
-        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this change has no Rietveld "
-                        "issue number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
+        expected_output="OWNERS check failed: this CL has no Gerrit "
+                        "change number, so we can't check it for approvals.\n")
     self.AssertOwnersWorks(issue=None,
         uncovered_files=set(['foo']),
         manually_specified_reviewers=['jane'],