diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_inv.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_inv.hpp
index 91e45875..42c61f9e 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_inv.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_inv.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ inv
   if(status == false)
     {
     out.soft_reset();
-    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "inv(): matrix seems singular");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "inv(): matrix is singular");
     }
   
   return status;
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_spsolve.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_spsolve.hpp
index 8aa7a8f4..7a0a183b 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_spsolve.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_spsolve.hpp
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ spsolve_helper
   
   if( (status == false) && (rcond > T(0)) )
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "spsolve(): system seems singular (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "spsolve(): system is singular (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
     }
   
   if( (status == true) && (rcond > T(0)) && (rcond < auxlib::epsilon_lapack(out)) )
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system seems singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system is singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
     }
   
   return status;
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_sqrtmat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_sqrtmat.hpp
index 3e0654f0..b8ae579d 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_sqrtmat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_sqrtmat.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ sqrtmat(Mat< std::complex<typename T1::elem_type> >& Y, const Base<typename T1::
   
   if(status == false)
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix seems singular; may not have a square root");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix is singular; may not have a square root");
     }
   
   return status;
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ sqrtmat(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& Y, const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& X
   
   if(status == false)
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix seems singular; may not have a square root");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix is singular; may not have a square root");
     }
   
   return status;
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/glue_solve_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/glue_solve_meat.hpp
index 7c3fd65f..fb072150 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/glue_solve_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/glue_solve_meat.hpp
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ glue_solve_gen::apply(Mat<eT>& out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base<eT,T2>
     
     if( (status == true) && (rcond > T(0)) && (rcond < auxlib::epsilon_lapack(A)) )
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system seems singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system is singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
       }
     
     
@@ -249,11 +249,11 @@ glue_solve_gen::apply(Mat<eT>& out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base<eT,T2>
       
       if(rcond > T(0))
         {
-        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
+        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
         }
       else
         {
-        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular; attempting approx solution");
+        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular; attempting approx solution");
         }
       
       // TODO: conditionally recreate A: have a separate state flag which indicates whether A was previously overwritten
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ glue_solve_gen::apply(Mat<eT>& out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base<eT,T2>
 
     if( (status == true) && (rcond > T(0)) && (rcond < auxlib::epsilon_lapack(A)) )
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system seems singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system is singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
       }
     
     if( (status == false) && (no_approx == false) )
@@ -291,11 +291,11 @@ glue_solve_gen::apply(Mat<eT>& out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base<eT,T2>
       
       if(rcond > T(0))
         {
-        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
+        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
         }
       else
         {
-        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular; attempting approx solution");
+        arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular; attempting approx solution");
         }
       
       A = A_expr.get_ref();  // as A was overwritten
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ glue_solve_tri_default::apply(Mat<eT>& actual_out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, co
   
   if( (status == true) && (rcond > T(0)) && (rcond < auxlib::epsilon_lapack(A)) )
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system seems singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system is singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
     }
   
   
@@ -378,11 +378,11 @@ glue_solve_tri_default::apply(Mat<eT>& actual_out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, co
     
     if(rcond > T(0))
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
       }
     else
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular; attempting approx solution");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular; attempting approx solution");
       }
     
     Mat<eT> triA = (triu) ? trimatu(A) : trimatl(A);  // trimatu() and trimatl() return the same type
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ glue_solve_tri::apply(Mat<eT>& actual_out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base
   
   if( (status == true) && (rcond > T(0)) && (rcond < auxlib::epsilon_lapack(A)) )
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system seems singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): solution computed, but system is singular to working precision (rcond: ", rcond, ")");
     }
   
   
@@ -491,11 +491,11 @@ glue_solve_tri::apply(Mat<eT>& actual_out, const Base<eT,T1>& A_expr, const Base
     
     if(rcond > T(0))
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular (rcond: ", rcond, "); attempting approx solution");
       }
     else
       {
-      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system seems singular; attempting approx solution");
+      arma_debug_warn_level(2, "solve(): system is singular; attempting approx solution");
       }
     
     Mat<eT> triA = (triu) ? trimatu(A) : trimatl(A);  // trimatu() and trimatl() return the same type
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_meat.hpp
index 89356eae..52dba43c 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_meat.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ op_inv::apply(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Op<T1,op_inv>& X)
   if(status == false)
     {
     out.soft_reset();
-    arma_stop_runtime_error("inv(): matrix seems singular");
+    arma_stop_runtime_error("inv(): matrix is singular");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
index fd9b8e29..67ddd95e 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ op_sqrtmat::apply(Mat< std::complex<typename T1::elem_type> >& out, const mtOp<s
   
   if(status == false)
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix seems singular; may not have a square root");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix is singular; may not have a square root");
     }
   }
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ op_sqrtmat_cx::apply(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Op<T1,op_sqrtmat_cx
   
   if(status == false)
     {
-    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix seems singular; may not have a square root");
+    arma_debug_warn_level(3, "sqrtmat(): given matrix is singular; may not have a square root");
     }
   }