diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/compile.erlang.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/compile.erlang.ex
index 16b43f9af5f..12262fe926f 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/compile.erlang.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/compile.erlang.ex
@@ -100,9 +100,10 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Compile.Erlang do
       file = Erlang.to_erl_file(Path.rootname(input, ".erl"))
 
       case :compile.file(file, erlc_options) do
-        {:error, :badarg} ->
+        # TODO: Don't handle {:error, :badarg} when we require OTP 24
+        error when error == :error or error == {:error, :badarg} ->
           message =
-            "Compiling Erlang #{inspect(file)} failed with ArgumentError, probably because of invalid :erlc_options"
+            "Compiling Erlang file #{inspect(file)} failed, probably because of invalid :erlc_options"
 
           Mix.raise(message)
 
diff --git a/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/compile.erlang_test.exs b/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/compile.erlang_test.exs
index 414642ebada..316636c02b7 100644
--- a/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/compile.erlang_test.exs
+++ b/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/compile.erlang_test.exs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Compile.ErlangTest do
   @tag erlc_options: [{:d, 'foo', 'bar'}]
   test "raises on invalid erlc_options" do
     in_fixture("compile_erlang", fn ->
-      assert_raise Mix.Error, ~r"failed with ArgumentError", fn ->
+      assert_raise Mix.Error, ~r"Compiling Erlang file '.*' failed", fn ->
         capture_io(fn ->
           Mix.Tasks.Compile.Erlang.run([])
         end)