diff --git a/pkg/envoy/yaml/applications.go b/pkg/envoy/yaml/applications.go
index e63744626..c4a05ce0c 100644
--- a/pkg/envoy/yaml/applications.go
+++ b/pkg/envoy/yaml/applications.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func (wset *applicationSet) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) error {
 
 func (wrap *application) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) (err error) {
 	if !isKind(n, yaml.MappingNode) {
-		return nodeErr(n, "application definition must be a map or scalar")
+		return nodeErr(n, "application definition must be a map")
 	}
 
 	if wrap.res == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/envoy/yaml/role.go b/pkg/envoy/yaml/role.go
index 79ef1a56d..32fd5b970 100644
--- a/pkg/envoy/yaml/role.go
+++ b/pkg/envoy/yaml/role.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (wset *roleSet) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) error {
 
 func (wrap *role) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) (err error) {
 	if !isKind(n, yaml.MappingNode) {
-		return nodeErr(n, "role definition must be a map or scalar")
+		return nodeErr(n, "role definition must be a map")
 	}
 
 	if wrap.res == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/envoy/yaml/user.go b/pkg/envoy/yaml/user.go
index 18974fcb7..7e1acb43d 100644
--- a/pkg/envoy/yaml/user.go
+++ b/pkg/envoy/yaml/user.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (wset *userSet) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) error {
 
 func (wrap *user) UnmarshalYAML(n *yaml.Node) (err error) {
 	if !isKind(n, yaml.MappingNode) {
-		return nodeErr(n, "user definition must be a map or scalar")
+		return nodeErr(n, "user definition must be a map")
 	}
 
 	if wrap.res == nil {