diff --git a/modules/system/services/nebula/default.nix b/modules/system/services/nebula/default.nix
index 6080052..aa5b039 100644
--- a/modules/system/services/nebula/default.nix
+++ b/modules/system/services/nebula/default.nix
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ in
   config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
     assertions = lib.singleton {
       assertion = netCfg.overlay.isLighthouse -> netCfg.underlay.isPublic;
-      message = "'${netCfg.hostName}' is a Nebula lighthouse, but underlay.isPublic is not set. Lighthouses must be publicly reachable.";
+      message = "`${netCfg.hostName}` is a Nebula lighthouse, but `underlay.isPublic` is not set. Lighthouses must be publicly reachable.";
     };
 
     custom.networking.overlay = {
diff --git a/modules/system/services/syncthing.nix b/modules/system/services/syncthing.nix
index b2bf8bc..295478c 100644
--- a/modules/system/services/syncthing.nix
+++ b/modules/system/services/syncthing.nix
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ in
     assertions = [
       {
         assertion = cfg.isServer -> (cfg.gui.domain != null);
-        message = "Running syncthing on a server requires `gui.domain` to be set";
+        message = "Syncthing requires `gui.domain` to be set when `isServer` is enabled";
       }
       {
         assertion = (cfg.gui.domain != null) -> (self.lib.isPrivateDomain cfg.gui.domain);
diff --git a/modules/system/web-services/alloy.nix b/modules/system/web-services/alloy.nix
index 9ab821c..45f643e 100644
--- a/modules/system/web-services/alloy.nix
+++ b/modules/system/web-services/alloy.nix
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ in
           |> lib.filter (name: name != "system")
           |> lib.map (name: {
             assertion = cfg.collect.metrics.${name} -> config.services.${name}.enable;
-            message = "Collecting ${name} metrics requires the ${name} service to be enabled";
+            message = "Alloy cannot collect `${name}` metrics without the `${name}` service";
           });
         logsAssertions =
           cfg.collect.logs
           |> lib.attrNames
           |> lib.map (name: {
             assertion = cfg.collect.logs.${name} -> config.services.${name}.enable;
-            message = "Collecting ${name} logs requires the ${name} service to be enabled";
+            message = "Alloy cannot collect '${name}' logs without the '${name}' service";
           });
       in
       metricsAssertions ++ logsAssertions;