diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolver.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolver.java
index e19bb36..1bb01fc 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolver.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolver.java
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@
       } else {
         messages.add(
             String.format(
-                "account %s for email %s is inactive", accountState.account().id(), email));
+                "ignoring inactive account %s for email %s", accountState.account().id(), email));
       }
     }
     return activeAccounts.build();
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerIT.java
index d1fa577..0f12736 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerIT.java
@@ -440,7 +440,8 @@
                 "found email %s as code owner in %s",
                 inactiveUser.email(), getCodeOwnerConfigFilePath(ROOT_PATH)),
             String.format(
-                "account %s for email %s is inactive", inactiveUser.id(), inactiveUser.email()));
+                "ignoring inactive account %s for email %s",
+                inactiveUser.id(), inactiveUser.email()));
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolverTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolverTest.java
index 0787e9a..c2cd1dc 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolverTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerResolverTest.java
@@ -198,7 +198,8 @@
     assertThat(result).isEmpty();
     assertThat(result)
         .hasMessagesThat()
-        .contains(String.format("account %s for email %s is inactive", user.id(), user.email()));
+        .contains(
+            String.format("ignoring inactive account %s for email %s", user.id(), user.email()));
   }
 
   @Test