diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/branch.go b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/branch.go
index a7e34bde78..0546539a9b 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/branch.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/branch.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ const (
 	showCurrentFlag = "show-current"
 )
 
+var ErrUnmergedBranchDelete = errors.New("The branch '%s' is not fully merged.\nIf you are sure you want to delete it, run 'dolt branch -D %s'.")
+
 type BranchCmd struct{}
 
 // Name is returns the name of the Dolt cli command. This is what is used on the command line to invoke the command
@@ -328,6 +330,8 @@ func deleteBranches(ctx context.Context, dEnv *env.DoltEnv, apr *argparser.ArgPa
 			var verr errhand.VerboseError
 			if err == doltdb.ErrBranchNotFound {
 				verr = errhand.BuildDError("fatal: branch '%s' not found", brName).Build()
+			} else if err == actions.ErrUnmergedBranch {
+				verr = errhand.BuildDError(ErrUnmergedBranchDelete.Error(), brName, brName).Build()
 			} else if err == actions.ErrCOBranchDelete {
 				verr = errhand.BuildDError("error: Cannot delete checked out branch '%s'", brName).Build()
 			} else {
diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/branch.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/branch.go
index 9e99b0e122..a7660decdc 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/branch.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/branch.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 
 var ErrAlreadyExists = errors.New("already exists")
 var ErrCOBranchDelete = errors.New("attempted to delete checked out branch")
-var ErrUnmergedBranchDelete = errors.New("The branch '%s' is not fully merged.\nIf you are sure you want to delete it, run 'dolt branch -D %s'.")
+var ErrUnmergedBranch = errors.New("branch is not fully merged")
 var ErrWorkingSetsOnBothBranches = errors.New("checkout would overwrite uncommitted changes on target branch")
 
 func RenameBranch(ctx context.Context, dbData env.DbData, oldBranch, newBranch string, remoteDbPro env.RemoteDbProvider, force bool) error {
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func validateBranchMergedIntoCurrentWorkingBranch(ctx context.Context, dbdata en
 			return nil
 		}
 		if errors.Is(err, doltdb.ErrIsAhead) {
-			return fmt.Errorf(ErrUnmergedBranchDelete.Error(), branch.GetPath(), branch.GetPath())
+			return ErrUnmergedBranch
 		}
 
 		// TODO: no common ancestor is not an error
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func validateBranchMergedIntoCurrentWorkingBranch(ctx context.Context, dbdata en
 	}
 
 	if !isMerged {
-		return fmt.Errorf(ErrUnmergedBranchDelete.Error(), branch.GetPath(), branch.GetPath())
+		return ErrUnmergedBranch
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -257,14 +257,14 @@ func validateBranchMergedIntoUpstream(ctx context.Context, dbdata env.DbData, br
 			return nil
 		}
 		if errors.Is(err, doltdb.ErrIsAhead) {
-			return fmt.Errorf(ErrUnmergedBranchDelete.Error(), branch.GetPath(), branch.GetPath())
+			return ErrUnmergedBranch
 		}
 		// TODO: no common ancestor is not an error
 		return err
 	}
 
 	if !canFF {
-		return fmt.Errorf(ErrUnmergedBranchDelete.Error(), branch.GetPath(), branch.GetPath())
+		return ErrUnmergedBranch
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/enginetest/dolt_queries.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/enginetest/dolt_queries.go
index e768641aa9..bae3f80f74 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/enginetest/dolt_queries.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/enginetest/dolt_queries.go
@@ -1713,7 +1713,7 @@ var DoltBranchScripts = []queries.ScriptTest{
 			{
 				// Trying to delete a branch with unpushed changes fails without force option
 				Query:          "CALL DOLT_BRANCH('-d', 'myNewBranchWithCommit')",
-				ExpectedErrStr: "attempted to delete a branch that is not fully merged into its parent; use `-f` to force",
+				ExpectedErrStr: "branch is not fully merged",
 			},
 			{
 				Query:    "CALL DOLT_BRANCH('-df', 'myNewBranchWithCommit')",