diff --git a/test/parallel/test-require-dot.js b/test/parallel/test-require-dot.js
index e2202efec1df1a..002a7ac988f2a1 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-require-dot.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-require-dot.js
@@ -14,5 +14,8 @@ process.env.NODE_PATH = fixtures.path('module-require', 'relative');
 m._initPaths();
 
 const c = require('.');
-
-assert.strictEqual(c.value, 42, 'require(".") should honor NODE_PATH');
+assert.strictEqual(
+  c.value,
+  42,
+  `require(".") should honor NODE_PATH; expected 42, found ${c.value}`
+);