diff --git a/flax/core/scope.py b/flax/core/scope.py
index c69011556..f4eb487e2 100644
--- a/flax/core/scope.py
+++ b/flax/core/scope.py
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ def param(self, name: str, init_fn: Callable[..., T], *init_args,
         # for inference to a half float type for example.
         if jnp.shape(val) != jnp.shape(abs_val):
           raise errors.ScopeParamShapeError(name, self.path_text,
-                                            jnp.shape(val), jnp.shape(abs_val))
+                                            jnp.shape(abs_val), jnp.shape(val))
     else:
       if not self.is_mutable_collection('params'):
         if self.is_collection_empty('params'):
diff --git a/flax/errors.py b/flax/errors.py
index 79eb88ee0..24aa8516e 100644
--- a/flax/errors.py
+++ b/flax/errors.py
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ def __call__(self, x):
   """
 
   def __init__(self, param_name, scope_path, value_shape, init_shape):
-    super().__init__('Inconsistent shapes between value and initializer '
-                     f'for parameter "{param_name}" in "{scope_path}": '
-                     f'{value_shape}, {init_shape}.')
+    super().__init__(f'Initializer expected to generate shape {init_shape} '
+                     f'but got shape {value_shape} instead for parameter '
+                     f'"{param_name}" in "{scope_path}".')
 
 
 class ScopeVariableNotFoundError(FlaxError):
diff --git a/tests/core/core_scope_test.py b/tests/core/core_scope_test.py
index cda54824d..5994a2890 100644
--- a/tests/core/core_scope_test.py
+++ b/tests/core/core_scope_test.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def test_inconsistent_param_shapes(self):
     def f(scope):
       scope.param('test', nn.initializers.ones_init(), (4,))
 
-    msg = r'Inconsistent shapes between value and initializer for parameter "test" in "/": \(2,\), \(4,\).'
+    msg = r'Initializer expected to generate shape \(2,\) but got shape \(4,\) instead for parameter "test" in "/"'
     with self.assertRaisesRegex(errors.ScopeParamShapeError, msg):
       apply(f)(freeze({'params': {'test': np.ones((2,))}}))