diff --git a/docs/user/status.md b/docs/user/status.md
index 1e3084c99..4b87b1603 100644
--- a/docs/user/status.md
+++ b/docs/user/status.md
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ It could also be caused by response corruption, e.g. if the configured `upstream
 
 ### VersionNotFound
 
-The currently installed version was not found in the configured `channel`.
+The currently reconciling cluster version was not found in the configured `channel`.
 
-This usually means that the configured `channel` is known to Cincinnati, but the cluster's current version is not found in that channel's graph.
+This usually means that the configured `channel` is known to Cincinnati, but the version the cluster is currently applying is not found in that channel's graph.
 Fix by setting `channel` to [a valid value][channels], e.g. `stable-4.3`.
 
 If this error occurs because you forced an update to a release that is not in any channel, fix by updating back to a release that occurs in a channel, although you are on your own to determine a safe update path.
diff --git a/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati.go b/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati.go
index 0d2e20d0a..5b9d9ba34 100644
--- a/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati.go
+++ b/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (c Client) GetUpdates(ctx context.Context, uri *url.URL, arch string, chann
 	if !found {
 		return current, nil, &Error{
 			Reason:  "VersionNotFound",
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf("currently installed version %s not found in the %q channel", version, channel),
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf("currently reconciling cluster version %s not found in the %q channel", version, channel),
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati_test.go b/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati_test.go
index bb1ce74aa..30db3968b 100644
--- a/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cincinnati/cincinnati_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestGetUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		name:          "unknown version",
 		version:       "4.0.0-3",
 		expectedQuery: "arch=test-arch&channel=test-channel&id=01234567-0123-0123-0123-0123456789ab&version=4.0.0-3",
-		err:           "VersionNotFound: currently installed version 4.0.0-3 not found in the \"test-channel\" channel",
+		err:           "VersionNotFound: currently reconciling cluster version 4.0.0-3 not found in the \"test-channel\" channel",
 	}}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {