diff --git a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
index b0226e879ad9ba..7b62fca0352f5d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
+++ b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
@@ -375,8 +375,7 @@ class AssertionError extends Error {
         let res = inspectValue(actual);
         let other = inspectValue(expected);
         const knownOperators = kReadableOperator[operator];
-        if ((operator === 'notDeepEqual' || operator === 'notEqual') &&
-            res === other) {
+        if (operator === 'notDeepEqual' && res === other) {
           res = `${knownOperators}\n\n${res}`;
           if (res.length > 1024) {
             res = `${res.slice(0, 1021)}...`;
@@ -389,7 +388,7 @@ class AssertionError extends Error {
           if (other.length > 512) {
             other = `${other.slice(0, 509)}...`;
           }
-          if (operator === 'deepEqual' || operator === 'equal') {
+          if (operator === 'deepEqual') {
             const eq = operator === 'deepEqual' ? 'deep-equal' : 'equal';
             res = `${knownOperators}\n\n${res}\n\nshould loosely ${eq}\n\n`;
           } else {