diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/tool/shell.ts b/packages/opencode/src/tool/shell.ts
index 17647ae3bb..dda269608e 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/tool/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/tool/shell.ts
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ export const ShellTool = Tool.define(
       if (aborted) meta.push("User aborted the command")
       if (incomplete)
         meta.push(
-          `shell tool exited without reaching EOF within ${POST_EXIT_OUTPUT_GRACE_MS} ms; a background descendant may be holding the output pipe open`,
+          `shell process exited, but stdout/stderr did not reach EOF within ${POST_EXIT_OUTPUT_GRACE_MS} ms; a descendant process may still hold inherited pipe handles open`,
         )
       const raw = list.map((item) => item.text).join("")
       const end = tail(raw, limits.maxLines, limits.maxBytes)
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
index af0faac514..4513b8dd01 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
@@ -1117,7 +1117,7 @@ describe("tool.shell abort", () => {
         expect(Date.now() - started).toBeLessThan(3_000)
         expect(result.output).toContain("parent done")
         expect(result.output).toContain(
-          "shell tool exited without reaching EOF within 500 ms; a background descendant may be holding the output pipe open",
+          "shell process exited, but stdout/stderr did not reach EOF within 500 ms; a descendant process may still hold inherited pipe handles open",
         )
         expect(result.metadata.outputIncomplete).toBe(true)
       }),