diff --git a/R/evaluate_smooth.R b/R/evaluate_smooth.R
index eb0a90c7c..b100ffdc6 100644
--- a/R/evaluate_smooth.R
+++ b/R/evaluate_smooth.R
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     }
     smooth_ids <- which_smooth(object, smooth) # which smooths match 'smooth'
     if (identical(length(smooth_ids), 0L)) {
-        stop("Request smooth not found in the model <", smooth, ">", call. = FALSE)
+        stop("Requested smooth '", smooth, "' not found", call. = FALSE)
     }
     smooth_labels <- select_smooth(object, smooth)
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-evaluate-smooth-methods.R b/tests/testthat/test-evaluate-smooth-methods.R
index ad4c07e66..c56563a77 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-evaluate-smooth-methods.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-evaluate-smooth-methods.R
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ test_that("evaluate_smooth throws a message with more than one term", {
                    "Supplied more than 1 'smooth'; using only the first")
 })
 
+test_that("evaluate_smooth throws error if smooth not found", {
+    expect_error(evaluate_smooth(m1, smooth = "s(z)"),
+                 "Requested smooth 's(z)' not found",
+                 fixed = TRUE)
+})
+
 test_that("evaluate_smooth works for a GAMM", {
     sm <- evaluate_smooth(m2, "s(x2)")
     expect_is(sm, "evaluated_1d_smooth")