diff --git a/app/models/reshare.rb b/app/models/reshare.rb
index cfb17a646..15a1dc7db 100644
--- a/app/models/reshare.rb
+++ b/app/models/reshare.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Reshare < Post
   def notification_type(user, person)
     Notifications::Reshared if root.author == user.person
   end
-  
+
   private
 
   def after_parse
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class Reshare < Post
 
   def root_must_be_public
     if self.root && !self.root.public
-      errors[:base] << "you must reshare public posts"
+      errors[:base] << "Only posts which are public may be reshared."
       return false
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb b/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
index 51687a2a1..5795fc9eb 100644
--- a/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ describe Reshare do
   end
 
   it 'require public root' do
-    Factory.build(:reshare, :root => Factory.build(:status_message, :public => false)).should_not be_valid
+    reshare = Factory.build(:reshare, :root => Factory.build(:status_message, :public => false))
+    reshare.should_not be_valid
+    reshare.errors[:base].should include('Only posts which are public may be reshared.')
   end
 
   it 'forces public' do