diff --git a/lib/validation/validation.go b/lib/validation/validation.go
index 686ed16c93..ef5a1b8483 100644
--- a/lib/validation/validation.go
+++ b/lib/validation/validation.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func ValidateClusterVersion(config *configv1.ClusterVersion) field.ErrorList {
 			switch countPayloadsForVersion(config, u.Version) {
 			case 0:
 				errs = append(errs, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec", "desiredUpdate", "version"), u.Version,
-					"when image is empty the update must be a previous version or an available update"))
+					"when image is empty the update must be an available update"))
 			case 1:
 			default:
 				errs = append(errs, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec", "desiredUpdate", "version"), u.Version,
diff --git a/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go b/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
index 3c6045de57..07e5a5e8a2 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
@@ -1865,7 +1865,7 @@ func TestOperator_sync(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						ObservedGeneration: 2,
 						Conditions: []configv1.ClusterOperatorStatusCondition{
-							{Type: ClusterVersionInvalid, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Reason: "InvalidClusterVersion", Message: "The cluster version is invalid: spec.desiredUpdate.version: Invalid value: \"4.0.4\": when image is empty the update must be a previous version or an available update"},
+							{Type: ClusterVersionInvalid, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Reason: "InvalidClusterVersion", Message: "The cluster version is invalid: spec.desiredUpdate.version: Invalid value: \"4.0.4\": when image is empty the update must be an available update"},
 							{Type: ImplicitlyEnabledCapabilities, Status: "False", Reason: "AsExpected", Message: "Capabilities match configured spec"},
 							{Type: configv1.OperatorAvailable, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Message: "Done applying 4.0.1"},
 							{Type: ClusterStatusFailing, Status: configv1.ConditionFalse},