diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTask.java
index 18793c61a..efe8f0821 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTask.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class ManifestTask extends Task {
         char ch = name.charAt(0);
 
         if (ch == '-' || ch == '_') {
-            throw new BuildException("Manifest attribute names must not contain '" + ch + "' at the begin.");
+            throw new BuildException("Manifest attribute names must not start with '" + ch + "'.");
         }
         
         for (int i = 0; i < name.length(); i++) {
diff --git a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTest.java b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTest.java
index 23f57c717..225473ce1 100644
--- a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ManifestTest.java
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class ManifestTest extends BuildFileTest {
     }
 
     public void testIllegalNameBegin() {
-        expectBuildException("testIllegalNameInSection", "Manifest attribute names must not contain '-' at the begin.");
+        expectBuildException("testIllegalNameInSection", "Manifest attribute names must not start with '-' at the begin.");
     }
 
     public void testIllegalName2() {