diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/distributed/DistributedHerder.java b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/distributed/DistributedHerder.java
index be3fbfcdfae08..9202a946b754e 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/distributed/DistributedHerder.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/distributed/DistributedHerder.java
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ public void deleteConnectorConfig(final String connName, final Callback<Created<
                     public Void call() throws Exception {
                         log.trace("Handling connector config request {}", connName);
                         if (!isLeader()) {
-                            callback.onCompletion(new NotLeaderException("Only the leader can set connector configs.", leaderUrl()), null);
+                            callback.onCompletion(new NotLeaderException("Only the leader can delete connector configs.", leaderUrl()), null);
                             return null;
                         }