diff --git a/artiq/compiler/transforms/inferencer.py b/artiq/compiler/transforms/inferencer.py
index 172dfb1fe..81a4c21ec 100644
--- a/artiq/compiler/transforms/inferencer.py
+++ b/artiq/compiler/transforms/inferencer.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ class Inferencer(algorithm.Visitor):
                 if not builtins.is_array(node.value.type):
                     diag = diagnostic.Diagnostic(
                         "error",
-                        "multi-dimensional slices only supported for arrays, not {type}",
+                        "multi-dimensional indexing only supported for arrays, not {type}",
                         {"type": types.TypePrinter().name(node.value.type)},
                         node.loc, [])
                     self.engine.process(diag)
diff --git a/artiq/test/lit/inferencer/error_subscript.py b/artiq/test/lit/inferencer/error_subscript.py
index 0aadb3289..d8332ab09 100644
--- a/artiq/test/lit/inferencer/error_subscript.py
+++ b/artiq/test/lit/inferencer/error_subscript.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 x = []
 
-# CHECK-L: ${LINE:+1}: error: multi-dimensional slices are not supported
+# CHECK-L: ${LINE:+1}: error: multi-dimensional indexing only supported for arrays
 x[1,2]
 
 # CHECK-L: ${LINE:+1}: error: multi-dimensional slices are not supported