diff --git a/src/common/database.c b/src/common/database.c
index 05ae41c4922..dd5eba9efc7 100644
--- a/src/common/database.c
+++ b/src/common/database.c
@@ -3719,7 +3719,7 @@ void dt_database_show_error(const dt_database_t *db)
           "\n"
           "  4 - If you have done this or are certain that no other instances of darktable are running, \n"
           "      this probably means that the last instance was ended abnormally. \n"
-          "      Click on the \"delete database lock files\" button to remove the files <i>data.db.lock</i> and <i>library.db.lock</i>. \n"
+          "      Click on the \"delete database lock files\" button to delete the files <i>data.db.lock</i> and <i>library.db.lock</i>. \n"
           "\n\n"
           "      <i><u>Caution!</u> Do not delete these files without first undertaking the above checks, \n"
           "      otherwise you risk generating serious inconsistencies in your database.</i>\n"),
@@ -3756,7 +3756,7 @@ void dt_database_show_error(const dt_database_t *db)
         else
           dt_gui_show_standalone_yes_no_dialog
             (_("error"), g_markup_printf_escaped(
-              _("\nat least one file could not be removed.\n"
+              _("\nat least one file could not be deleted.\n"
                 "you may try to manually delete the files <i>data.db.lock</i> and <i>library.db.lock</i>\n"
                 "in folder <a href=\"file:///%s\">%s</a>.\n"), lck_dirname, lck_dirname),
              _("_ok"), NULL);
diff --git a/src/common/film.c b/src/common/film.c
index ba6d11707d3..605988b5a1a 100644
--- a/src/common/film.c
+++ b/src/common/film.c
@@ -338,15 +338,15 @@ static gboolean ask_and_delete(gpointer user_data)
   dialog = gtk_message_dialog_new
     (GTK_WINDOW(win), GTK_DIALOG_DESTROY_WITH_PARENT, GTK_MESSAGE_QUESTION,
      GTK_BUTTONS_YES_NO,
-     ngettext("do you want to remove this empty directory?",
-              "do you want to remove these empty directories?", n_empty_dirs));
+     ngettext("do you want to delete this empty directory?",
+              "do you want to delete these empty directories?", n_empty_dirs));
 #ifdef GDK_WINDOWING_QUARTZ
   dt_osx_disallow_fullscreen(dialog);
 #endif
 
   gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(dialog),
-                       ngettext("remove empty directory?",
-                                "remove empty directories?", n_empty_dirs));
+                       ngettext("delete empty directory?",
+                                "delete empty directories?", n_empty_dirs));
 
   GtkWidget *content_area = gtk_dialog_get_content_area(GTK_DIALOG(dialog));