diff --git a/scripts/qapi/expr.py b/scripts/qapi/expr.py
index ae4437ba08..b62f0a3640 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/expr.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/expr.py
@@ -286,13 +286,12 @@ def _check_if(cond: Union[str, object]) -> None:
             raise QAPISemError(
                 info,
                 "'if' condition of %s must be a string or an object" % source)
+        check_keys(cond, info, "'if' condition of %s" % source, [],
+                   ["all", "any", "not"])
         if len(cond) != 1:
             raise QAPISemError(
                 info,
-                "'if' condition dict of %s must have one key: "
-                "'all', 'any' or 'not'" % source)
-        check_keys(cond, info, "'if' condition", [],
-                   ["all", "any", "not"])
+                "'if' condition of %s has conflicting keys" % source)
 
         oper, operands = next(iter(cond.items()))
         if not operands:
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-key.err b/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-key.err
index a69dc9ee86..38cf44b687 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-key.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-key.err
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 bad-if-key.json: In struct 'TestIfStruct':
-bad-if-key.json:2: 'if' condition has unknown key 'value'
+bad-if-key.json:2: 'if' condition of struct has unknown key 'value'
 Valid keys are 'all', 'any', 'not'.
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-keys.err b/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-keys.err
index aceb31dc6d..fe87bd30ac 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-keys.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/bad-if-keys.err
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 bad-if-keys.json: In struct 'TestIfStruct':
-bad-if-keys.json:2: 'if' condition dict of struct must have one key: 'all', 'any' or 'not'
+bad-if-keys.json:2: 'if' condition of struct has conflicting keys
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/enum-if-invalid.err b/tests/qapi-schema/enum-if-invalid.err
index 3bb84075a9..2b2bbffb65 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/enum-if-invalid.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/enum-if-invalid.err
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 enum-if-invalid.json: In enum 'TestIfEnum':
-enum-if-invalid.json:2: 'if' condition has unknown key 'val'
+enum-if-invalid.json:2: 'if' condition of 'data' member 'bar' has unknown key 'val'
 Valid keys are 'all', 'any', 'not'.