diff --git a/contracts/eosio.system/delegate_bandwidth.cpp b/contracts/eosio.system/delegate_bandwidth.cpp
index 8648d3402e1..c235d5c8e9d 100644
--- a/contracts/eosio.system/delegate_bandwidth.cpp
+++ b/contracts/eosio.system/delegate_bandwidth.cpp
@@ -371,7 +371,8 @@ namespace eosiosystem {
       eosio_assert( asset() <= unstake_cpu_quantity, "must unstake a positive amount" );
       eosio_assert( asset() <= unstake_net_quantity, "must unstake a positive amount" );
       eosio_assert( asset() < unstake_cpu_quantity + unstake_net_quantity, "must unstake a positive amount" );
-      eosio_assert( _gstate.total_activated_stake >= min_activated_stake, "the chain has not been activated yet (less than 15% of all tokens have participated in voting)" );
+      eosio_assert( _gstate.total_activated_stake >= min_activated_stake,
+                    "cannot undelegate bandwidth until the chain is activated (at least 15% of all tokens participate in voting)" );
 
       changebw( from, receiver, -unstake_net_quantity, -unstake_cpu_quantity, false);
    } // undelegatebw
diff --git a/contracts/eosio.system/producer_pay.cpp b/contracts/eosio.system/producer_pay.cpp
index 1c118f83f2a..1d0af68d432 100644
--- a/contracts/eosio.system/producer_pay.cpp
+++ b/contracts/eosio.system/producer_pay.cpp
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ namespace eosiosystem {
                p.unpaid_blocks++;
          });
       }
-      
+
       /// only update block producers once every minute, block_timestamp is in half seconds
       if( timestamp.slot - _gstate.last_producer_schedule_update.slot > 120 ) {
          update_elected_producers( timestamp );
-         
+
          if( (timestamp.slot - _gstate.last_name_close.slot) > blocks_per_day ) {
             name_bid_table bids(_self,_self);
             auto idx = bids.get_index<N(highbid)>();
@@ -70,8 +70,9 @@ namespace eosiosystem {
 
       const auto& prod = _producers.get( owner );
       eosio_assert( prod.active(), "producer does not have an active key" );
-      
-      eosio_assert( _gstate.total_activated_stake >= min_activated_stake, "the chain has not been activated yet (less than 15% of all tokens have participated in voting)" );
+
+      eosio_assert( _gstate.total_activated_stake >= min_activated_stake,
+                    "cannot claim rewards until the chain is activated (at least 15% of all tokens participate in voting)" );
 
       auto ct = current_time();
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ namespace eosiosystem {
          producer_per_block_pay = (_gstate.perblock_bucket * prod.unpaid_blocks) / _gstate.total_unpaid_blocks;
       }
       int64_t producer_per_vote_pay = 0;
-      if( _gstate.total_producer_vote_weight > 0 ) { 
+      if( _gstate.total_producer_vote_weight > 0 ) {
          producer_per_vote_pay  = int64_t((_gstate.pervote_bucket * prod.total_votes ) / _gstate.total_producer_vote_weight);
       }
       if( producer_per_vote_pay < min_pervote_daily_pay ) {
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ namespace eosiosystem {
           p.last_claim_time = ct;
           p.unpaid_blocks = 0;
       });
-      
+
       if( producer_per_block_pay > 0 ) {
          INLINE_ACTION_SENDER(eosio::token, transfer)( N(eosio.token), {N(eosio.bpay),N(active)},
                                                        { N(eosio.bpay), owner, asset(producer_per_block_pay), std::string("producer block pay") } );
diff --git a/unittests/eosio.system_tests.cpp b/unittests/eosio.system_tests.cpp
index 9b38b564dea..b823eb5a550 100644
--- a/unittests/eosio.system_tests.cpp
+++ b/unittests/eosio.system_tests.cpp
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(multiple_producer_pay, eosio_system_tester, * boost::uni
          BOOST_REQUIRE(prod_was_replaced);
       }
    }
-   
+
    {
       BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL( wasm_assert_msg("producer not found"),
                            push_action( config::system_account_name, N(rmvproducer), mvo()("producer", "nonexistingp") ) );
@@ -1699,7 +1699,8 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(producer_onblock_check, eosio_system_tester) try {
    transfer(config::system_account_name, "producvotera", core_from_string("200000000.0000"), config::system_account_name);
    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(success(), stake("producvotera", core_from_string("70000000.0000"), core_from_string("70000000.0000") ));
    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(success(), vote( N(producvotera), vector<account_name>(producer_names.begin(), producer_names.begin()+10)));
-   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( wasm_assert_msg("not enough has been staked for users to unstake"), unstake( "producvotera", core_from_string("50.0000"), core_from_string("50.0000") ) );
+   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( wasm_assert_msg( "cannot undelegate bandwidth until the chain is activated (at least 15% of all tokens participate in voting)" ),
+                      unstake( "producvotera", core_from_string("50.0000"), core_from_string("50.0000") ) );
 
    // give a chance for everyone to produce blocks
    {
@@ -1721,11 +1722,12 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(producer_onblock_check, eosio_system_tester) try {
    }
 
    {
+      const char* claimrewards_activation_error_message = "cannot claim rewards until the chain is activated (at least 15% of all tokens participate in voting)";
       BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(0, get_global_state()["total_unpaid_blocks"].as<uint32_t>());
-      BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(wasm_assert_msg("not enough has been staked for producers to claim rewards"),
+      BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(wasm_assert_msg( claimrewards_activation_error_message ),
                           push_action(producer_names.front(), N(claimrewards), mvo()("owner", producer_names.front())));
       BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(0, get_balance(producer_names.front()).get_amount());
-      BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(wasm_assert_msg("not enough has been staked for producers to claim rewards"),
+      BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(wasm_assert_msg( claimrewards_activation_error_message ),
                           push_action(producer_names.back(), N(claimrewards), mvo()("owner", producer_names.back())));
       BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(0, get_balance(producer_names.back()).get_amount());
    }