diff --git a/Objects/complexobject.c b/Objects/complexobject.c
index da2075a386f..42e447dbafc 100644
--- a/Objects/complexobject.c
+++ b/Objects/complexobject.c
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ complex_div(PyObject *v, PyObject *w)
 	quot = c_quot(a, b);
 	PyFPE_END_PROTECT(quot)
 	if (errno == EDOM) {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError, "complex division");
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError, "complex division by zero");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	return PyComplex_FromCComplex(quot);
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ complex_classic_div(PyObject *v, PyObject *w)
 	quot = c_quot(a, b);
 	PyFPE_END_PROTECT(quot)
 	if (errno == EDOM) {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError, "complex division");
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError, "complex division by zero");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	return PyComplex_FromCComplex(quot);
diff --git a/Objects/floatobject.c b/Objects/floatobject.c
index d93d9f931ff..3f76e91ff2f 100644
--- a/Objects/floatobject.c
+++ b/Objects/floatobject.c
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ float_div(PyObject *v, PyObject *w)
 #ifdef Py_NAN
 	if (b == 0.0) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError,
-				"float division");
+				"float division by zero");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 #endif
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ float_classic_div(PyObject *v, PyObject *w)
 #ifdef Py_NAN
 	if (b == 0.0) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ZeroDivisionError,
-				"float division");
+				"float division by zero");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 #endif