diff --git a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-metadata.c b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-metadata.c
index e89ae5e7a51959dc5a8e9ce68c70295ba840abb6..906cf3df71af33365e460cbca0a82b0077fc6abf 100644
--- a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-metadata.c
+++ b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-metadata.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ static int sm_metadata_new_block(struct dm_space_map *sm, dm_block_t *b)
 {
 	int r = sm_metadata_new_block_(sm, b);
 	if (r)
-		DMERR("out of metadata space");
+		DMERR("unable to allocate new metadata block");
 	return r;
 }