diff --git a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/ErrorCode.java b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/ErrorCode.java
index d2a0cab5da..e637c8acf7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/ErrorCode.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/ErrorCode.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public enum ErrorCode {
 
   SHRED_DOC_LIMIT_VIOLATION("Document size limitation violated"),
 
-  SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION("Document key name constraints violated"),
+  SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION("Document field name invalid"),
 
   SHRED_BAD_EJSON_VALUE("Bad JSON Extension value"),
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/Shredder.java b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/Shredder.java
index 3307025ed4..5812b516f4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/Shredder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/Shredder.java
@@ -389,7 +389,8 @@ private void validateObjectKey(String key, JsonNode value, int depth, int parent
           ;
         } else {
           throw ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.toApiException(
-              "property name ('%s') contains character(s) not allowed", key);
+              "field name ('%s') contains invalid character(s), can contain only letters (a-z/A-Z), numbers (0-9), underscores (_), and hyphens (-)",
+              key);
         }
       }
       int totalPathLength = parentPathLength + key.length();
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderDocLimitsTest.java b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderDocLimitsTest.java
index 64efeca047..4bb88c8978 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderDocLimitsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderDocLimitsTest.java
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ public void catchEmptyPropertyName() {
           .isInstanceOf(JsonApiException.class)
           .hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("errorCode", ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION)
           .hasMessageStartingWith(ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.getMessage())
-          .hasMessageEndingWith("Document key name constraints violated: empty names not allowed");
+          .hasMessageEndingWith("empty names not allowed");
     }
 
     @ParameterizedTest
@@ -440,9 +440,9 @@ public void catchInvalidPropertyName(String invalidName) {
           .hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("errorCode", ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION)
           .hasMessageStartingWith(ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.getMessage())
           .hasMessageEndingWith(
-              "Document key name constraints violated: property name ('"
+              "field name ('"
                   + invalidName
-                  + "') contains character(s) not allowed");
+                  + "') contains invalid character(s), can contain only letters (a-z/A-Z), numbers (0-9), underscores (_), and hyphens (-)");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderTest.java b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderTest.java
index 06b96cfad5..7a51956de7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderTest.java
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ public void badEJSONUnrecognized() {
 
       assertThat(t)
           .isNotNull()
-          .hasMessageStartingWith("Document key name constraints violated")
+          .hasMessageStartingWith(ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.getMessage())
           .hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("errorCode", ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderWithExtendedTypesTest.java b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderWithExtendedTypesTest.java
index 69608e34b8..77643f386d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderWithExtendedTypesTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/shredding/ShredderWithExtendedTypesTest.java
@@ -441,9 +441,7 @@ public void docUnknownEJsonAsValue() {
       assertThat(t)
           .isNotNull()
           .hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("errorCode", ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION)
-          .hasMessageStartingWith(
-              ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.getMessage()
-                  + ": property name ('$unknownType') contains character(s) not allowed");
+          .hasMessageStartingWith(ErrorCode.SHRED_DOC_KEY_NAME_VIOLATION.getMessage());
     }
   }