diff --git a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
index 462325475..f2fd6295d 100644
--- a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ var _ = Describe("GitRepositoryReconciler", func() {
 				reference:         &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{Branch: "main"},
 				waitForReason:     sourcev1.GitOperationFailedReason,
 				expectStatus:      metav1.ConditionFalse,
-				expectMessage:     "error: user rejected certificate",
+				expectMessage:     "unable to clone: user rejected certificate",
 				gitImplementation: sourcev1.LibGit2Implementation,
 			}),
 			Entry("self signed libgit2 with CA", refTestCase{
diff --git a/pkg/git/gogit/checkout.go b/pkg/git/gogit/checkout.go
index 14f1ecfb9..1777d30fa 100644
--- a/pkg/git/gogit/checkout.go
+++ b/pkg/git/gogit/checkout.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutBranch) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 		CABundle:          caBundle(opts),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
 	}
 	head, err := repo.Head()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutTag) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *git.
 		CABundle:          caBundle(opts),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
 	}
 	head, err := repo.Head()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutCommit) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 	}
 	repo, err := extgogit.PlainCloneContext(ctx, path, false, cloneOpts)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
 	}
 	w, err := repo.Worktree()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutSemVer) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 		CABundle:          caBundle(opts),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.GoGitError(err))
 	}
 
 	repoTags, err := repo.Tags()
diff --git a/pkg/git/gogit/checkout_test.go b/pkg/git/gogit/checkout_test.go
index 37367852b..946dd9c5d 100644
--- a/pkg/git/gogit/checkout_test.go
+++ b/pkg/git/gogit/checkout_test.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func TestCheckoutTag_Checkout(t *testing.T) {
 			name:        "Non existing tag",
 			tag:         "tag-1",
 			checkoutTag: "invalid",
-			expectErr:   "error: couldn't find remote ref \"refs/tags/invalid\"",
+			expectErr:   "couldn't find remote ref \"refs/tags/invalid\"",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/pkg/git/libgit2/checkout.go b/pkg/git/libgit2/checkout.go
index dbf0b4033..8e3d36a75 100644
--- a/pkg/git/libgit2/checkout.go
+++ b/pkg/git/libgit2/checkout.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutBranch) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 		CheckoutBranch: c.Branch,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone: %w", gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
 	}
 	defer repo.Free()
 	head, err := repo.Head()
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutTag) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *git.
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
 	}
 	defer repo.Free()
 	cc, err := checkoutDetachedDwim(repo, c.Tag)
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutCommit) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
 	}
 	defer repo.Free()
 	oid, err := git2go.NewOid(c.Commit)
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func (c *CheckoutSemVer) Checkout(ctx context.Context, path, url string, opts *g
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s', error: %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to clone '%s': %w", url, gitutil.LibGit2Error(err))
 	}
 	defer repo.Free()