diff --git a/db-service/lib/infer/join-tree.js b/db-service/lib/infer/join-tree.js
index 334dff2c7..c4c0cd0a0 100644
--- a/db-service/lib/infer/join-tree.js
+++ b/db-service/lib/infer/join-tree.js
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class JoinTree {
       // sanity check: error out if we can't produce a join
       if ($refLink.definition.keys && $refLink.definition.keys.length === 0) {
         const path = prettyPrintRef(col.ref)
-        throw new Error(`Path step “${$refLink.alias}” of “${path}” has no valid foreign keys`)
+        throw new Error(`Path step “${$refLink.alias}” of “${path}” has no foreign keys`)
       }
 
       if (next) {
diff --git a/db-service/test/cqn4sql/keyless.test.js b/db-service/test/cqn4sql/keyless.test.js
index 3484bfb2d..258c4d632 100644
--- a/db-service/test/cqn4sql/keyless.test.js
+++ b/db-service/test/cqn4sql/keyless.test.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe('keyless entities', () => {
     const { Books } = model.entities
     const q = SELECT.from(Books).where(`author[ID = 42].book[ID = 42].author.name LIKE 'King'`)
     expect(() => cqn4sql(q, model)).to.throw(
-      'Path step “author” of “author[…].book[…].author.name” has no valid foreign keys',
+      'Path step “author” of “author[…].book[…].author.name” has no foreign keys',
     )
     // ok if explicit foreign key is used
     const qOk = SELECT.columns('ID').from(Books).where(`authorWithExplicitForeignKey[ID = 42].name LIKE 'King'`)