diff --git a/_pytest/python.py b/_pytest/python.py
index eacea994d9b..548d7cfa52a 100644
--- a/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/_pytest/python.py
@@ -435,9 +435,9 @@ def _importtestmodule(self):
             if e.allow_module_level:
                 raise
             raise self.CollectError(
-                "Using @pytest.skip outside of a test (e.g. as a test "
-                "function decorator) is not allowed. Use @pytest.mark.skip or "
-                "@pytest.mark.skipif instead."
+                "Using pytest.skip outside of a test is not allowed. If you are "
+                "trying to decorate a test function, use the @pytest.mark.skip "
+                "or @pytest.mark.skipif decorators instead."
             )
         self.config.pluginmanager.consider_module(mod)
         return mod
diff --git a/testing/test_skipping.py b/testing/test_skipping.py
index 12b18ca3300..2e7868d3ab8 100644
--- a/testing/test_skipping.py
+++ b/testing/test_skipping.py
@@ -967,5 +967,5 @@ def test_func():
     """)
     result = testdir.runpytest()
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
-        "*Using @pytest.skip outside of a test * is not allowed*"
+        "*Using pytest.skip outside of a test is not allowed*"
     )