diff --git a/src/region_cone.cpp b/src/region_cone.cpp
index b838154034..79d22fac39 100644
--- a/src/region_cone.cpp
+++ b/src/region_cone.cpp
@@ -37,11 +37,13 @@ RegCone::RegCone(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
 
   // check open face settings
 
-  if (openflag && (open_faces[3] || open_faces[4] || open_faces[5]))
-    error->all(FLERR,"Invalid region cone open setting");
+  if (openflag)
+    for (int i=3; i<6; i++) 
+      if (open_faces[i]) 
+        error->all(FLERR,"Illegal region cone open face: {}", i);
 
-  if (strcmp(arg[2],"x") != 0 && strcmp(arg[2],"y") && strcmp(arg[2],"z") != 0)
-    error->all(FLERR,"Illegal region cylinder command");
+  if (strcmp(arg[2],"x") != 0 && strcmp(arg[2],"y") != 0 && strcmp(arg[2],"z") != 0)
+    error->all(FLERR,"Illegal region cone axis: {}", arg[2]);
   axis = arg[2][0];
 
   if (axis == 'x') {
diff --git a/src/region_intersect.cpp b/src/region_intersect.cpp
index 682dd269c0..8d3227ee95 100644
--- a/src/region_intersect.cpp
+++ b/src/region_intersect.cpp
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ RegIntersect::RegIntersect(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
 {
   nregion = 0;
 
-  if (narg < 5) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal region command");
+  if (narg < 5) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal region intersect {} arguments 5 expected");
   int n = utils::inumeric(FLERR, arg[2], false, lmp);
-  if (n < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal region command");
+  if (n < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal region intersect n: {}", n);
   options(narg - (n + 3), &arg[n + 3]);
 
   // build list of regions to intersect