diff --git a/src/t_stream.c b/src/t_stream.c
index 29ec9701f..8188bd6d7 100644
--- a/src/t_stream.c
+++ b/src/t_stream.c
@@ -2189,9 +2189,9 @@ void xreadCommand(client *c) {
             streams_arg = i+1;
             streams_count = (c->argc-streams_arg);
             if ((streams_count % 2) != 0) {
-                char symbol = xreadgroup ? '>' : '$';
+                const char *symbol = xreadgroup ? "ID or '>'" : "ID, '+', or '$'";
                 addReplyErrorFormat(c,"Unbalanced '%s' list of streams: "
-                                      "for each stream key an ID or '%c' must be "
+                                      "for each stream key an %s must be "
                                       "specified.", c->cmd->fullname,symbol);
                 return;
             }
diff --git a/tests/unit/type/stream-cgroups.tcl b/tests/unit/type/stream-cgroups.tcl
index cd91ea878..876db0717 100644
--- a/tests/unit/type/stream-cgroups.tcl
+++ b/tests/unit/type/stream-cgroups.tcl
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ start_server {
         r XADD mystream 666 f v
         r XGROUP CREATE mystream mygroup $
         assert_error "ERR Unbalanced 'xreadgroup' list of streams: for each stream key an ID or '>' must be specified." {r XREADGROUP GROUP mygroup Alice COUNT 1 STREAMS mystream }
-        assert_error "ERR Unbalanced 'xread' list of streams: for each stream key an ID or '$' must be specified." {r XREAD COUNT 1 STREAMS mystream }
+        assert_error "ERR Unbalanced 'xread' list of streams: for each stream key an ID, '+', or '$' must be specified." {r XREAD COUNT 1 STREAMS mystream }
     }
 
     test {Blocking XREAD: key deleted} {