diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
index 4fe716cfd2d..ad994f4fa2b 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
@@ -1332,7 +1332,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				else
 				{
 					fprintf(stderr,
-							_("%s: invalid xlog-method option \"%s\", must be empty, \"fetch\", or \"stream\"\n"),
+							_("%s: invalid xlog-method option \"%s\", must be \"fetch\" or \"stream\"\n"),
 							progname, optarg);
 					exit(1);
 				}