diff --git a/Source/cmExportFileGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmExportFileGenerator.cxx
index 4dddefa2b1..c412172fc3 100644
--- a/Source/cmExportFileGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmExportFileGenerator.cxx
@@ -994,7 +994,10 @@ void cmExportFileGenerator::GeneratePolicyHeaderCode(std::ostream& os)
   /* clang-format off */
   os << "# Generated by CMake\n\n";
   os << "if(\"${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION}\" LESS 2.8)\n"
-     << "   message(FATAL_ERROR \"CMake >= 2.8.0 required\")\n"
+     << "   message(FATAL_ERROR \"CMake >= "
+     << this->RequiredCMakeVersionMajor << '.'
+     << this->RequiredCMakeVersionMinor << '.'
+     << this->RequiredCMakeVersionPatch << " required\")\n"
      << "endif()\n"
      << "if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS \""
      << this->RequiredCMakeVersionMajor << '.'