diff --git a/src/backend/libpq/auth.c b/src/backend/libpq/auth.c
index 0e847f5c48..7799111301 100644
--- a/src/backend/libpq/auth.c
+++ b/src/backend/libpq/auth.c
@@ -1432,7 +1432,7 @@ pg_SSPI_recvauth(Port *port)
 	if (!LookupAccountSid(NULL, tokenuser->User.Sid, accountname, &accountnamesize,
 						  domainname, &domainnamesize, &accountnameuse))
 		ereport(ERROR,
-			  (errmsg_internal("could not lookup acconut sid: error code %d",
+			  (errmsg_internal("could not look up account SID: error code %d",
 							   (int) GetLastError())));
 
 	free(tokenuser);
diff --git a/src/backend/libpq/be-secure.c b/src/backend/libpq/be-secure.c
index 437a0c79b0..f84ef5d506 100644
--- a/src/backend/libpq/be-secure.c
+++ b/src/backend/libpq/be-secure.c
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ tmp_dh_cb(SSL *s, int is_export, int keylength)
 	if (r == NULL || 8 * DH_size(r) < keylength)
 	{
 		ereport(DEBUG2,
-				(errmsg_internal("DH: generating parameters (%d bits)....",
+				(errmsg_internal("DH: generating parameters (%d bits)",
 								 keylength)));
 		r = DH_generate_parameters(keylength, DH_GENERATOR_2, NULL, NULL);
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/port/pipe.c b/src/backend/port/pipe.c
index b86a53ad34..b249e95910 100644
--- a/src/backend/port/pipe.c
+++ b/src/backend/port/pipe.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pgpipe(int handles[2])
 
 	if ((s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == INVALID_SOCKET)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to create socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not create socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -39,38 +39,38 @@ pgpipe(int handles[2])
 	serv_addr.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_LOOPBACK);
 	if (bind(s, (SOCKADDR *) &serv_addr, len) == SOCKET_ERROR)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to bind: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not bind: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(s);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if (listen(s, 1) == SOCKET_ERROR)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to listen: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not listen: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(s);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if (getsockname(s, (SOCKADDR *) &serv_addr, &len) == SOCKET_ERROR)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to getsockname: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not getsockname: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(s);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if ((handles[1] = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == INVALID_SOCKET)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to create socket 2: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not create socket 2: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(s);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (connect(handles[1], (SOCKADDR *) &serv_addr, len) == SOCKET_ERROR)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to connect socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not connect socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(s);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if ((handles[0] = accept(s, (SOCKADDR *) &serv_addr, &len)) == INVALID_SOCKET)
 	{
-		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe failed to accept socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
+		ereport(LOG, (errmsg_internal("pgpipe could not accept socket: %ui", WSAGetLastError())));
 		closesocket(handles[1]);
 		handles[1] = INVALID_SOCKET;
 		closesocket(s);
diff --git a/src/backend/port/win32/signal.c b/src/backend/port/win32/signal.c
index 92082a20b7..d2dfd01223 100644
--- a/src/backend/port/win32/signal.c
+++ b/src/backend/port/win32/signal.c
@@ -83,18 +83,18 @@ pgwin32_signal_initialize(void)
 	pgwin32_signal_event = CreateEvent(NULL, TRUE, FALSE, NULL);
 	if (pgwin32_signal_event == NULL)
 		ereport(FATAL,
-				(errmsg_internal("failed to create signal event: %d", (int) GetLastError())));
+				(errmsg_internal("could not create signal event: %d", (int) GetLastError())));
 
 	/* Create thread for handling signals */
 	signal_thread_handle = CreateThread(NULL, 0, pg_signal_thread, NULL, 0, NULL);
 	if (signal_thread_handle == NULL)
 		ereport(FATAL,
-				(errmsg_internal("failed to create signal handler thread")));
+				(errmsg_internal("could not create signal handler thread")));
 
 	/* Create console control handle to pick up Ctrl-C etc */
 	if (!SetConsoleCtrlHandler(pg_console_handler, TRUE))
 		ereport(FATAL,
-				(errmsg_internal("failed to set console control handler")));
+				(errmsg_internal("could not set console control handler")));
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/backend/port/win32/socket.c b/src/backend/port/win32/socket.c
index c918da981b..b730f8eeda 100644
--- a/src/backend/port/win32/socket.c
+++ b/src/backend/port/win32/socket.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ TranslateSocketError(void)
 			break;
 		default:
 			ereport(NOTICE,
-					(errmsg_internal("Unknown win32 socket error code: %i", WSAGetLastError())));
+					(errmsg_internal("unrecognized win32 socket error code: %i", WSAGetLastError())));
 			errno = EINVAL;
 	}
 }
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ pgwin32_waitforsinglesocket(SOCKET s, int what, int timeout)
 
 		if (waitevent == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
 			ereport(ERROR,
-					(errmsg_internal("Failed to create socket waiting event: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
+					(errmsg_internal("could not create socket waiting event: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
 	}
 	else if (!ResetEvent(waitevent))
 		ereport(ERROR,
-				(errmsg_internal("Failed to reset socket waiting event: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
+				(errmsg_internal("could not reset socket waiting event: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
 
 	/*
 	 * make sure we don't multiplex this kernel event object with a different
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ pgwin32_waitforsinglesocket(SOCKET s, int what, int timeout)
 	if (r == WAIT_TIMEOUT)
 		return 0;
 	ereport(ERROR,
-			(errmsg_internal("Bad return from WaitForMultipleObjects: %i (%i)", r, (int) GetLastError())));
+			(errmsg_internal("unrecognized return value from WaitForMultipleObjects: %i (%i)", r, (int) GetLastError())));
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ pgwin32_recv(SOCKET s, char *buf, int len, int f)
 		return b;
 	}
 	ereport(NOTICE,
-	  (errmsg_internal("Failed to read from ready socket (after retries)")));
+	  (errmsg_internal("could not read from ready socket (after retries)")));
 	errno = EWOULDBLOCK;
 	return -1;
 }
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ pgwin32_socket_strerror(int err)
 		handleDLL = LoadLibraryEx("netmsg.dll", NULL, DONT_RESOLVE_DLL_REFERENCES | LOAD_LIBRARY_AS_DATAFILE);
 		if (handleDLL == NULL)
 			ereport(FATAL,
-					(errmsg_internal("Failed to load netmsg.dll: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
+					(errmsg_internal("could not load netmsg.dll: %i", (int) GetLastError())));
 	}
 
 	ZeroMemory(&wserrbuf, sizeof(wserrbuf));
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ pgwin32_socket_strerror(int err)
 					  NULL) == 0)
 	{
 		/* Failed to get id */
-		sprintf(wserrbuf, "Unknown winsock error %i", err);
+		sprintf(wserrbuf, "unrecognized winsock error %i", err);
 	}
 	return wserrbuf;
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/port/win32/timer.c b/src/backend/port/win32/timer.c
index e118d96a4b..97224df386 100644
--- a/src/backend/port/win32/timer.c
+++ b/src/backend/port/win32/timer.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ setitimer(int which, const struct itimerval * value, struct itimerval * ovalue)
 		timerCommArea.event = CreateEvent(NULL, TRUE, FALSE, NULL);
 		if (timerCommArea.event == NULL)
 			ereport(FATAL,
-					(errmsg_internal("failed to create timer event: %d",
+					(errmsg_internal("could not create timer event: %d",
 									 (int) GetLastError())));
 
 		MemSet(&timerCommArea.value, 0, sizeof(struct itimerval));
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ setitimer(int which, const struct itimerval * value, struct itimerval * ovalue)
 		timerThreadHandle = CreateThread(NULL, 0, pg_timer_thread, NULL, 0, NULL);
 		if (timerThreadHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
 			ereport(FATAL,
-					(errmsg_internal("failed to create timer thread: %d",
+					(errmsg_internal("could not create timer thread: %d",
 									 (int) GetLastError())));
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index b9bd50c671..bd0039e262 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 		char	  **p;
 
 		ereport(DEBUG3,
-				(errmsg_internal("%s: PostmasterMain: initial environ dump:",
+				(errmsg_internal("%s: PostmasterMain: initial environment dump:",
 								 progname)));
 		ereport(DEBUG3,
 			 (errmsg_internal("-----------------------------------------")));