diff --git a/src/v/config/node_config.cc b/src/v/config/node_config.cc
index 8c1600d7a3579..4bbbb33e99538 100644
--- a/src/v/config/node_config.cc
+++ b/src/v/config/node_config.cc
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ node_config::node_config() noexcept
       "file does not exist or does not return '1', Redpanda immediately "
       "exits.  After the check is complete, Redpanda loads the "
       "OpenSSL FIPS provider into the OpenSSL library.  After this is "
-      "complete, Redpanda is operating in FIPS mode.  This means that the "
-      "available TLS cipher suites available to users are limited to TLSv1.2 "
+      "complete, Redpanda is operating in FIPS mode, which means that the "
+      "TLS cipher suites available to users are limited to TLSv1.2 "
       "and TLSv1.3, and of those, only the ones that use NIST-approved "
       "cryptographic methods.  For more information about FIPS, refer to "
       "Redpanda documentation.",
diff --git a/src/v/redpanda/application.cc b/src/v/redpanda/application.cc
index b00f5d1c0559a..ac703eb044ab1 100644
--- a/src/v/redpanda/application.cc
+++ b/src/v/redpanda/application.cc
@@ -899,10 +899,9 @@ void application::check_environment() {
         fd.read(buf, 1);
         if (buf[0] != '1') {
             throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
-              "File '{}' not reporting '1': '{}'.  Redpanda cannot start in "
-              "FIPS mode",
-              fips_enabled_file,
-              std::string(&buf[0], 1)));
+              "File '{}' not reporting '1'.  Redpanda cannot start in FIPS "
+              "mode",
+              fips_enabled_file));
         }
         syschecks::systemd_message("Starting Redpanda in FIPS mode").get();
     }