diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2100d24929..b7aa20c18d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ if(SECP256K1_TEST_OVERRIDE_WIDE_MULTIPLY)
 endif()
 mark_as_advanced(FORCE SECP256K1_TEST_OVERRIDE_WIDE_MULTIPLY)
 
-set(SECP256K1_ASM "AUTO" CACHE STRING "Assembly optimizations to use: \"AUTO\", \"OFF\", \"x86_64\" or \"arm32\" (experimental). [default=AUTO]")
+set(SECP256K1_ASM "AUTO" CACHE STRING "Assembly to use: \"AUTO\", \"OFF\", \"x86_64\" or \"arm32\" (experimental). [default=AUTO]")
 set_property(CACHE SECP256K1_ASM PROPERTY STRINGS "AUTO" "OFF" "x86_64" "arm32")
 check_string_option_value(SECP256K1_ASM)
 if(SECP256K1_ASM STREQUAL "arm32")
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ if(SECP256K1_ASM STREQUAL "arm32")
   if(HAVE_ARM32_ASM)
     add_compile_definitions(USE_EXTERNAL_ASM=1)
   else()
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "ARM32 assembly optimization requested but not available.")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "ARM32 assembly requested but not available.")
   endif()
 elseif(SECP256K1_ASM)
   include(CheckX86_64Assembly)
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ elseif(SECP256K1_ASM)
   elseif(SECP256K1_ASM STREQUAL "AUTO")
     set(SECP256K1_ASM "OFF")
   else()
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "x86_64 assembly optimization requested but not available.")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "x86_64 assembly requested but not available.")
   endif()
 endif()
 
 option(SECP256K1_EXPERIMENTAL "Allow experimental configuration options." OFF)
 if(NOT SECP256K1_EXPERIMENTAL)
   if(SECP256K1_ASM STREQUAL "arm32")
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "ARM32 assembly optimization is experimental. Use -DSECP256K1_EXPERIMENTAL=ON to allow.")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "ARM32 assembly is experimental. Use -DSECP256K1_EXPERIMENTAL=ON to allow.")
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ message("Parameters:")
 message("  ecmult window size .................. ${SECP256K1_ECMULT_WINDOW_SIZE}")
 message("  ecmult gen precision bits ........... ${SECP256K1_ECMULT_GEN_PREC_BITS}")
 message("Optional features:")
-message("  assembly optimization ............... ${SECP256K1_ASM}")
+message("  assembly ............................ ${SECP256K1_ASM}")
 message("  external callbacks .................. ${SECP256K1_USE_EXTERNAL_DEFAULT_CALLBACKS}")
 if(SECP256K1_TEST_OVERRIDE_WIDE_MULTIPLY)
   message("  wide multiplication (test-only) ..... ${SECP256K1_TEST_OVERRIDE_WIDE_MULTIPLY}")
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e82ac75fab..50ce115c70 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(external_default_callbacks,
 AC_ARG_WITH([test-override-wide-multiply], [] ,[set_widemul=$withval], [set_widemul=auto])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([asm], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-asm=x86_64|arm32|no|auto],
-[assembly optimizations to use (experimental: arm32) [default=auto]])],[req_asm=$withval], [req_asm=auto])
+[assembly to use (experimental: arm32) [default=auto]])],[req_asm=$withval], [req_asm=auto])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([ecmult-window], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-ecmult-window=SIZE|auto],
 [window size for ecmult precomputation for verification, specified as integer in range [2..24].]
@@ -279,24 +279,24 @@ else
   x86_64)
     SECP_X86_64_ASM_CHECK
     if test x"$has_x86_64_asm" != x"yes"; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([x86_64 assembly optimization requested but not available])
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([x86_64 assembly requested but not available])
     fi
     ;;
   arm32)
     SECP_ARM32_ASM_CHECK
     if test x"$has_arm32_asm" != x"yes"; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([ARM32 assembly optimization requested but not available])
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([ARM32 assembly requested but not available])
     fi
     ;;
   no)
     ;;
   *)
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid assembly optimization selection])
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid assembly selection])
     ;;
   esac
 fi
 
-# Select assembly optimization
+# Select assembly
 enable_external_asm=no
 
 case $set_asm in
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ arm32)
 no)
   ;;
 *)
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid assembly optimizations])
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid assembly selection])
   ;;
 esac
 
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ if test x"$enable_experimental" = x"yes"; then
   AC_MSG_NOTICE([******])
 else
   if test x"$set_asm" = x"arm32"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([ARM32 assembly optimization is experimental. Use --enable-experimental to allow.])
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([ARM32 assembly is experimental. Use --enable-experimental to allow.])
   fi
 fi