diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml.py b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml.py
index 24d520891..41cab0b23 100755
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml.py
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def appendItem(content, key, listItem):
         try:
             content[key].append(listItem)
         except AttributeError:
-            print("The key provided is not a list. No action was taken on the file.")
+            print("The existing value for the given key is not a list. No action was taken on the file.")
             return 1
         except KeyError:
             print("The key provided does not exist. No action was taken on the file.")
diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml_test.py b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml_test.py
index 59db43860..488877ea1 100644
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml_test.py
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/so-yaml_test.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class TestRemove(unittest.TestCase):
                 sys.argv = ["cmd", "append", filename, "key1", "h"]
                 soyaml.main()
                 sysmock.assert_called()
-                self.assertEqual(mock_stdout.getvalue(), "The key provided is not a list. No action was taken on the file.\n")
+                self.assertEqual(mock_stdout.getvalue(), "The existing value for the given key is not a list. No action was taken on the file.\n")
 
     def test_append_key_nonlist_deep(self):
         filename = "/tmp/so-yaml_test-append.yaml"
@@ -200,4 +200,4 @@ class TestRemove(unittest.TestCase):
                 sys.argv = ["cmd", "append", filename, "key1.child2.deep1", "h"]
                 soyaml.main()
                 sysmock.assert_called()
-                self.assertEqual(mock_stdout.getvalue(), "The key provided is not a list. No action was taken on the file.\n")
+                self.assertEqual(mock_stdout.getvalue(), "The existing value for the given key is not a list. No action was taken on the file.\n")