diff --git a/pkgs/id/src/meta_client.rs b/pkgs/id/src/meta_client.rs
index 25826a25c..9faadc0aa 100644
--- a/pkgs/id/src/meta_client.rs
+++ b/pkgs/id/src/meta_client.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub fn expect_ok(resp: MetaResponse) -> Result<MetaResponse> {
 pub fn capped_response_error(err: ReadToEndError) -> anyhow::Error {
     match err {
         ReadToEndError::TooLong => anyhow::anyhow!(
-            "response too large: exceeds the {MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES}-byte limit              (MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES)"
+            "response too large: exceeds the {MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES}-byte limit"
         ),
         other => other.into(),
     }
@@ -248,7 +248,10 @@ mod tests {
     fn over_cap_error_names_the_limit() {
         let err = capped_response_error(ReadToEndError::TooLong);
         let msg = format!("{err}");
-        assert!(msg.contains("response too large"), "{msg}");
-        assert!(msg.contains(&MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES.to_string()), "{msg}");
+        assert_eq!(
+            msg,
+            format!("response too large: exceeds the {MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES}-byte limit"),
+            "the message must be exactly the named limit, with no leftover placeholder text"
+        );
     }
 }