diff --git a/zqd/handlers_test.go b/zqd/handlers_test.go
index 03a4458992..0525b3c6fc 100644
--- a/zqd/handlers_test.go
+++ b/zqd/handlers_test.go
@@ -305,13 +305,13 @@ func TestSpaceInvalidName(t *testing.T) {
 		_, err := client.SpacePost(ctx, api.SpacePostRequest{Name: "𝚭𝚴𝚪 is.good"})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		_, err = client.SpacePost(ctx, api.SpacePostRequest{Name: "𝚭𝚴𝚪/bad"})
-		require.EqualError(t, err, "status code 400: invalid space name")
+		require.EqualError(t, err, "status code 400: name may not contain '/' or non-printable characters")
 	})
 	t.Run("Put", func(t *testing.T) {
 		sp, err := client.SpacePost(ctx, api.SpacePostRequest{Name: "𝚭𝚴𝚪1"})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		err = client.SpacePut(ctx, sp.ID, api.SpacePutRequest{Name: "𝚭𝚴𝚪/2"})
-		require.EqualError(t, err, "status code 400: invalid space name")
+		require.EqualError(t, err, "status code 400: name may not contain '/' or non-printable characters")
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/zqd/space/config.go b/zqd/space/config.go
index 7bbaccb10b..f5dc258631 100644
--- a/zqd/space/config.go
+++ b/zqd/space/config.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func validateName(names map[string]api.SpaceID, name string) error {
 		return zqe.E(zqe.Invalid, "cannot set name to an empty string")
 	}
 	if !validSpaceName(name) {
-		return zqe.E(zqe.Invalid, "invalid space name")
+		return zqe.E(zqe.Invalid, "name may not contain '/' or non-printable characters")
 	}
 	if _, ok := names[name]; ok {
 		return zqe.E(zqe.Conflict, "space with name '%s' already exists", name)