diff --git a/src/librustc/mir/interpret/error.rs b/src/librustc/mir/interpret/error.rs
index 4b1fad5d0b3ee..54d48e83d0336 100644
--- a/src/librustc/mir/interpret/error.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/mir/interpret/error.rs
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ pub enum ResourceExhaustionInfo {
     /// The program ran for too long.
     ///
     /// The exact limit is set by the `const_eval_limit` attribute.
-    TimeLimitReached,
+    StepLimitReached,
 }
 
 impl fmt::Debug for ResourceExhaustionInfo {
@@ -578,7 +578,9 @@ impl fmt::Debug for ResourceExhaustionInfo {
             StackFrameLimitReached => {
                 write!(f, "reached the configured maximum number of stack frames")
             }
-            TimeLimitReached => write!(f, "exceeded interpreter time limit"),
+            StepLimitReached => {
+                write!(f, "exceeded interpreter step limit (see `#[const_eval_limit]`)")
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/librustc_mir/const_eval/machine.rs b/src/librustc_mir/const_eval/machine.rs
index 22b01be299b1c..123fc80021f3b 100644
--- a/src/librustc_mir/const_eval/machine.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_mir/const_eval/machine.rs
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ impl<'mir, 'tcx> interpret::Machine<'mir, 'tcx> for CompileTimeInterpreter {
 
         ecx.machine.steps_remaining -= 1;
         if ecx.machine.steps_remaining == 0 {
-            throw_exhaust!(TimeLimitReached)
+            throw_exhaust!(StepLimitReached)
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/infinite_loop.stderr b/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/infinite_loop.stderr
index 9b56457ea5f57..ebdb73c446791 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/infinite_loop.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/infinite_loop.stderr
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ error[E0080]: evaluation of constant value failed
   --> $DIR/infinite_loop.rs:8:20
    |
 LL |             n = if n % 2 == 0 { n/2 } else { 3*n + 1 };
-   |                    ^^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter time limit
+   |                    ^^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter step limit (see `#[const_eval_limit]`)
 
 error: aborting due to 3 previous errors
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/issue-52475.stderr b/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/issue-52475.stderr
index 8d6168a7f8693..b069537ead963 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/issue-52475.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/consts/const-eval/issue-52475.stderr
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ error[E0080]: evaluation of constant value failed
   --> $DIR/issue-52475.rs:7:17
    |
 LL |             n = (n + 1) % 5;
-   |                 ^^^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter time limit
+   |                 ^^^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter step limit (see `#[const_eval_limit]`)
 
 error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/consts/const_limit/const_eval_limit_reached.stderr b/src/test/ui/consts/const_limit/const_eval_limit_reached.stderr
index ca8fbef9072d8..be522dd6d5d5a 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/consts/const_limit/const_eval_limit_reached.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/consts/const_limit/const_eval_limit_reached.stderr
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ error: any use of this value will cause an error
 LL | / const X: usize = {
 LL | |     let mut x = 0;
 LL | |     while x != 1000 {
-   | |           ^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter time limit
+   | |           ^^^^^^^^^ exceeded interpreter step limit (see `#[const_eval_limit]`)
 LL | |
 ...  |
 LL | |     x