diff --git a/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/hellbender/tools/copynumber/denoising/SVDDenoisingUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/hellbender/tools/copynumber/denoising/SVDDenoisingUtils.java
index 7f0829d61a5..acb6c45c05c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/hellbender/tools/copynumber/denoising/SVDDenoisingUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/hellbender/tools/copynumber/denoising/SVDDenoisingUtils.java
@@ -482,8 +482,8 @@ private static void divideBySampleMedianAndTransformToLog2(final RealMatrix matr
         IntStream.range(0, sampleMedians.length).forEach(sampleIndex ->
                 ParamUtils.isPositive(sampleMedians[sampleIndex],
                         sampleMedians.length == 1
-                                ? "Sample does not have a non-negative sample median."
-                                : String.format("Sample at index %s does not have a non-negative sample median.", sampleIndex)));
+                                ? "Sample does not have a positive sample median."
+                                : String.format("Sample at index %s does not have a positive sample median.", sampleIndex)));
         matrix.walkInOptimizedOrder(new DefaultRealMatrixChangingVisitor() {
             @Override
             public double visit(int sampleIndex, int intervalIndex, double value) {