diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 09fcc6e9..25a36b41 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 2016-03-14  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/color.c (color_update): Don't dereference a possible NULL.
+	* src/rcfile.c (parse_colors): Make error message equal to others.
 
 2016-03-13  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/search.c (regexp_init): Allow using the word boundary markers
diff --git a/src/rcfile.c b/src/rcfile.c
index 4fddcb7b..c4ce5757 100644
--- a/src/rcfile.c
+++ b/src/rcfile.c
@@ -634,7 +634,8 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 
     if (!opensyntax) {
 	rcfile_error(
-		N_("Cannot add a color command without a syntax command"));
+		N_("A '%s' command requires a preceding 'syntax' command"),
+		"color");
 	return;
     }