diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/decl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/decl.go
index 037155a6ca..b8e43231a1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/decl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/decl.go
@@ -334,17 +334,14 @@ func (check *Checker) cycleError(cycle []Object, start int) {
 	} else {
 		err.addf(obj, "invalid cycle in declaration of %s", objName)
 	}
-	i := start
-	for range cycle {
-		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to", objName)
-		i++
-		if i >= len(cycle) {
-			i = 0
-		}
-		obj = cycle[i]
-		objName = name(obj)
+	// "cycle[i] refers to cycle[j]" for (i,j) = (s, s+1), (s+1, s+2), ..., (n, 0), (0,1), ..., (s-1,s) for len(cycle) = n, s = start.
+	n := len(cycle)
+	rotate := func(i int) int { return (i + start) % n }
+	for i := range n {
+		obj := cycle[rotate(i)]
+		next := cycle[rotate(i+1)]
+		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to %s", name(obj), name(next))
 	}
-	err.addf(obj, "%s", objName)
 	err.report()
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/initorder.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/initorder.go
index 09a53c98ef..9efbf7f69f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/initorder.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/initorder.go
@@ -163,13 +163,11 @@ func (check *Checker) reportCycle(cycle []Object) {
 
 	err := check.newError(InvalidInitCycle)
 	err.addf(obj, "initialization cycle for %s", obj.Name())
-	// subtle loop: print cycle[i] for i = 0, n-1, n-2, ... 1 for len(cycle) = n
-	for i := len(cycle) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
-		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to", obj.Name())
-		obj = cycle[i]
+	// "cycle[i] refers to cycle[j]" for (i,j) = (0, n-1), (n-1, n-2), ..., (1,0) for len(cycle) = n.
+	for j := len(cycle) - 1; j >= 0; j-- {
+		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to %s", obj.Name(), cycle[j].Name())
+		obj = cycle[j]
 	}
-	// print cycle[0] again to close the cycle
-	err.addf(obj, "%s", obj.Name())
 	err.report()
 }
 
diff --git a/src/go/types/decl.go b/src/go/types/decl.go
index 4fd37df786..498eb16f84 100644
--- a/src/go/types/decl.go
+++ b/src/go/types/decl.go
@@ -335,17 +335,15 @@ func (check *Checker) cycleError(cycle []Object, start int) {
 	} else {
 		err.addf(obj, "invalid cycle in declaration of %s", objName)
 	}
-	i := start
-	for range cycle {
-		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to", objName)
-		i++
-		if i >= len(cycle) {
-			i = 0
-		}
-		obj = cycle[i]
-		objName = name(obj)
+
+	// "cycle[i] refers to cycle[j]" for (i,j) = (s, s+1), (s+1, s+2), ..., (n, 0), (0,1), ..., (s-1,s) for len(cycle) = n, s = start.
+	n := len(cycle)
+	rotate := func(i int) int { return (i + start) % n }
+	for i := range n {
+		obj := cycle[rotate(i)]
+		next := cycle[rotate(i+1)]
+		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to %s", name(obj), name(next))
 	}
-	err.addf(obj, "%s", objName)
 	err.report()
 }
 
diff --git a/src/go/types/initorder.go b/src/go/types/initorder.go
index 077f2eccfe..682a63e2d7 100644
--- a/src/go/types/initorder.go
+++ b/src/go/types/initorder.go
@@ -166,13 +166,11 @@ func (check *Checker) reportCycle(cycle []Object) {
 
 	err := check.newError(InvalidInitCycle)
 	err.addf(obj, "initialization cycle for %s", obj.Name())
-	// subtle loop: print cycle[i] for i = 0, n-1, n-2, ... 1 for len(cycle) = n
-	for i := len(cycle) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
-		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to", obj.Name())
-		obj = cycle[i]
+	// "cycle[i] refers to cycle[j]" for (i,j) = (0, n-1), (n-1, n-2), ..., (1,0) for len(cycle) = n.
+	for j := len(cycle) - 1; j >= 0; j-- {
+		err.addf(obj, "%s refers to %s", obj.Name(), cycle[j].Name())
+		obj = cycle[j]
 	}
-	// print cycle[0] again to close the cycle
-	err.addf(obj, "%s", obj.Name())
 	err.report()
 }
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/bug195.go b/test/fixedbugs/bug195.go
index 769ed050b3..fa9cec75aa 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/bug195.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/bug195.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ type I4 interface { // GC_ERROR "invalid recursive type: I4 refers to itself"
 	I4 // GCCGO_ERROR "interface"
 }
 
-type I5 interface { // GC_ERROR "invalid recursive type I5\n\tLINE:.* I5 refers to\n\tLINE+4:.* I6 refers to\n\tLINE:.* I5$"
+type I5 interface { // GC_ERROR "invalid recursive type I5\n\tLINE:.* I5 refers to I6\n\tLINE+4:.* I6 refers to I5$"
 	I6
 }
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue41575.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue41575.go
index 456873038f..2eed37a949 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue41575.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue41575.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 package p
 
-type T1 struct { // ERROR "invalid recursive type T1\n\tLINE: T1 refers to\n\tLINE+4: T2 refers to\n\tLINE: T1$|invalid recursive type"
+type T1 struct { // ERROR "invalid recursive type T1\n.*T1 refers to T2\n.*T2 refers to T1|invalid recursive type"
 	f2 T2
 }
 
@@ -15,21 +15,21 @@ type T2 struct { // GCCGO_ERROR "invalid recursive type"
 }
 
 type a b // GCCGO_ERROR "invalid recursive type"
-type b c // ERROR "invalid recursive type b\n\tLINE: b refers to\n\tLINE+1: c refers to\n\tLINE: b$|invalid recursive type"
+type b c // ERROR "invalid recursive type b\n.*b refers to c\n.*c refers to b|invalid recursive type|invalid recursive type"
 type c b // GCCGO_ERROR "invalid recursive type"
 
 type d e
 type e f
-type f f // ERROR "invalid recursive type f\n\tLINE: f refers to\n\tLINE: f$|invalid recursive type"
+type f f // ERROR "invalid recursive type: f refers to itself|invalid recursive type|invalid recursive type"
 
-type g struct { // ERROR "invalid recursive type g\n\tLINE: g refers to\n\tLINE: g$|invalid recursive type"
+type g struct { // ERROR "invalid recursive type: g refers to itself|invalid recursive type"
 	h struct {
 		g
 	}
 }
 
 type w x
-type x y           // ERROR "invalid recursive type x\n\tLINE: x refers to\n\tLINE+1: y refers to\n\tLINE+2: z refers to\n\tLINE: x$|invalid recursive type"
+type x y           // ERROR "invalid recursive type x\n.*x refers to y\n.*y refers to z\n.*z refers to x|invalid recursive type"
 type y struct{ z } // GCCGO_ERROR "invalid recursive type"
 type z [10]x
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue50788.dir/b.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue50788.dir/b.go
index e17afc7b43..97ae208019 100644
--- a/test/fixedbugs/issue50788.dir/b.go
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue50788.dir/b.go
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ package b
 
 import "./a"
 
-type T a.T[T] // ERROR "invalid recursive type T\n.*T refers to\n.*a\.T refers to\n.*T"
+type T a.T[T] // ERROR "invalid recursive type T\n.*T refers to a\.T\n.*a\.T refers to T"
diff --git a/test/initloop.go b/test/initloop.go
index b1a8470b3a..c4530f36d6 100644
--- a/test/initloop.go
+++ b/test/initloop.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ package main
 
 var (
 	x int = a
-	a int = b // ERROR "a refers to\n.*b refers to\n.*c refers to\n.*a|initialization loop"
+	a int = b // ERROR "a refers to b\n.*b refers to c\n.*c refers to a|initialization loop"
 	b int = c
 	c int = a
 )