diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sys.py b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
index 2dd274609d8..a1b5ee741ea 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sys.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ def check_exit_message(code, expected):
                                        stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
             stdout, stderr = process.communicate()
             self.assertEqual(process.returncode, 1)
-            self.assertTrue(stderr.startswith(expected), stderr)
+            self.assertTrue(stderr.startswith(expected),
+                            "%r doesn't start with %r" % (stderr, expected))
 
         # test that stderr buffer if flushed before the exit message is written
         # into stderr