diff --git a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
index cdeba1941c4b02..3734796e2d2a2d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
+++ b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const kReadableOperator = {
   notStrictEqualObject:
     'Expected "actual" not to be reference-equal to "expected":',
   notDeepEqual: 'Expected "actual" not to be loosely deep-equal to:',
-  notIdentical: 'Values identical but not reference-equal:',
+  notIdentical: 'Values have same structure but are not reference-equal:',
   notDeepEqualUnequal: 'Expected values not to be loosely deep-equal:'
 };
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 04f7571a9bee66..61c8f7becead42 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ assert.throws(() => { throw null; }, 'foo');
 assert.throws(
   () => assert.strictEqual([], []),
   {
-    message: 'Values identical but not reference-equal:\n\n[]\n'
+    message: 'Values have same structure but are not reference-equal:\n\n[]\n'
   }
 );