diff --git a/src/apps/optargpm.h b/src/apps/optargpm.h
index c07f1020f5..8d0f1ea536 100644
--- a/src/apps/optargpm.h
+++ b/src/apps/optargpm.h
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ OPTARGS *opt_parse(int argc, char **argv, const char *flags, const char *keys,
     for (/* empty */; i < argc; i++) {
         if ('-' == argv[i][0]) {
             free(o);
-            fprintf(stderr, "+ and - style options must not be mixed\n");
+            fprintf(stderr, "Minus options must come first, then the plus options\n");
             return nullptr;
         }