diff --git a/src-self-hosted/test.zig b/src-self-hosted/test.zig
index feba45575..c0fb52a74 100644
--- a/src-self-hosted/test.zig
+++ b/src-self-hosted/test.zig
@@ -200,24 +200,20 @@ pub const TestContext = struct {
         var array = std.ArrayList(ErrorMsg).init(ctx.zir_error_cases.allocator);
         for (expected_errors) |e| {
             var cur = e;
-            const err = cur[0..7];
-            if (!std.mem.eql(u8, err, "error: ")) {
-                std.debug.panic("Only error messages are currently supported, received {}\n", .{e});
-            }
-            cur = cur[7..];
             var line_index = std.mem.indexOf(u8, cur, ":");
             if (line_index == null) {
-                std.debug.panic("Invalid test: error must be specified as 'error: line:column: msg', found '{}'", .{e});
+                std.debug.panic("Invalid test: error must be specified as 'line:column: error: msg', found '{}'", .{e});
             }
             const line = std.fmt.parseInt(u32, cur[0..line_index.?], 10) catch @panic("Unable to parse line number");
             cur = cur[line_index.? + 1 ..];
             const column_index = std.mem.indexOf(u8, cur, ":");
             if (column_index == null) {
-                std.debug.panic("Invalid test: error must be specified as 'error: line:column: msg', found '{}'", .{e});
+                std.debug.panic("Invalid test: error must be specified as 'line:column: error: msg', found '{}'", .{e});
             }
             const column = std.fmt.parseInt(u32, cur[0..column_index.?], 10) catch @panic("Unable to parse column number");
-            std.debug.assert(cur[column_index.? + 1] == ' ');
-            const msg = cur[column_index.? + 2 ..];
+            cur = cur[column_index.? + 2 ..];
+            std.debug.assert(std.mem.eql(u8, cur[0..7], "error: "));
+            const msg = cur[7..];
 
             if (line == 0 or column == 0) {
                 @panic("Invalid test: error line and column must be specified starting at one!");
diff --git a/test/stage2/compile_errors.zig b/test/stage2/compile_errors.zig
index 5c7a9e455..78a00840a 100644
--- a/test/stage2/compile_errors.zig
+++ b/test/stage2/compile_errors.zig
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
         \\@start = fn(@start_fnty, {
         \\  %0 = call(%test, [])
         \\})
-    , &[_][]const u8{"error: 5:13: unrecognized identifier: %test"});
+    , &[_][]const u8{"5:13: error: unrecognized identifier: %test"});
 
     // TODO: fix this test
     //    ctx.addZIRError("call with non-existent target", linux_x64,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
         \\@0 = str("_start")
         \\@1 = ref(@0)
         \\@2 = export(@1, @start)
-    , &[_][]const u8{"error: 4:9: unable to call function with naked calling convention"});
+    , &[_][]const u8{"4:9: error: unable to call function with naked calling convention"});
 
     //try ctx.testCompileError(
     //    \\export fn entry() void {}