diff --git a/atom/browser/api/lib/web-contents.js b/atom/browser/api/lib/web-contents.js
index 8dde10df4d19..e0c16999c72a 100644
--- a/atom/browser/api/lib/web-contents.js
+++ b/atom/browser/api/lib/web-contents.js
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ let wrapWebContents = function(webContents) {
     var args = 2 <= arguments.length ? slice.call(arguments, 1) : [];
     var channel = arguments[0];
     if (channel == null) {
-      throw new Error('channel must be specified');
+      throw new Error('Missing required channel argument');
     }
     return this._send(channel, slice.call(args));
   };
diff --git a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
index cb041a9320d8..d59eb9a8baa4 100644
--- a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
+++ b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
@@ -663,11 +663,11 @@ describe('browser-window module', function() {
     it('throws an error when the channel is missing', function() {
       assert.throws(function() {
         w.webContents.send();
-      }, 'channel must be specified');
+      }, 'Missing required channel argument');
 
       assert.throws(function() {
         w.webContents.send(null);
-      }, 'channel must be specified');
+      }, 'Missing required channel argument');
     });
   });
 });