diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetAccessor.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetAccessor.java
index 09552325e9db72..effb45670025eb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetAccessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetAccessor.java
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ public List<ConfiguredTarget> getPrerequisites(
       throw new QueryException(
           caller,
           String.format(
-              "%s %s of type %s does not have attribute '%s'",
-              errorMsgPrefix, actualConfiguredTarget, rule.getRuleClass(), attrName),
+              "%sconfigured target of type %s does not have attribute '%s'",
+              errorMsgPrefix, rule.getRuleClass(), attrName),
           ConfigurableQuery.Code.ATTRIBUTE_MISSING);
     }
     ImmutableList.Builder<ConfiguredTarget> toReturn = ImmutableList.builder();
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetQuerySemanticsTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetQuerySemanticsTest.java
index 688550c9f2b499..e4b78705b774f8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetQuerySemanticsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/query2/cquery/ConfiguredTargetQuerySemanticsTest.java
@@ -160,18 +160,13 @@ public void testLabelsFunction_labelListAttribute() throws Exception {
   public void testLabelsFunction_errorsOnBadAttribute() throws Exception {
     setUpLabelsFunctionTests();
 
-    ConfiguredTarget myRule = Iterables.getOnlyElement(eval("//test:my_rule"));
-    String targetConfiguration = myRule.getConfigurationChecksum();
-
     // Test that the proper error is thrown when requesting an attribute that doesn't exist.
     EvalThrowsResult evalThrowsResult = evalThrows("labels('fake_attr', //test:my_rule)", true);
     assertConfigurableQueryCode(evalThrowsResult.getFailureDetail(), Code.ATTRIBUTE_MISSING);
     assertThat(evalThrowsResult.getMessage())
         .isEqualTo(
-            String.format(
-                "in 'fake_attr' of rule //test:my_rule:  ConfiguredTarget(//test:my_rule, %s) "
-                    + "of type rule_with_transitions does not have attribute 'fake_attr'",
-                targetConfiguration));
+            "in 'fake_attr' of rule //test:my_rule: configured target of type"
+                + " rule_with_transitions does not have attribute 'fake_attr'");
   }
 
   @Test