diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 45965fa0fa..733399e6da 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -10545,7 +10545,7 @@ virDomainTPMDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt,
     case VIR_DOMAIN_TPM_TYPE_EXTERNAL:
         if (!(type = virXPathString("string(./backend/source/@type)", ctxt))) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("missing external TPM backend type"));
+                           _("missing external TPM backend source type"));
             goto error;
         }
 
@@ -10555,7 +10555,7 @@ virDomainTPMDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt,
         def->data.external.source->type = virDomainChrTypeFromString(type);
         if (def->data.external.source->type < 0) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                           _("unknown backend type '%s' for external TPM"),
+                           _("unknown backend source type '%s' for external TPM"),
                            type);
             goto error;
         }
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_validate.c b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
index 39d924d4ed..1c13929281 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_validate.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
@@ -2757,7 +2757,7 @@ virDomainTPMDevValidate(const virDomainTPMDef *tpm)
         }
         if (tpm->data.external.source->data.nix.listen) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("only 'client' mode is supported for external TPM device"));
+                           _("only 'connect' mode is supported for external TPM device"));
             return -1;
         }
         if (tpm->data.external.source->data.nix.path == NULL) {