diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
index 470472d81ba..d409c4179a9 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ func (cmd MergeCmd) Exec(ctx context.Context, commandStr string, args []string,
 		return 1
 	}
 	if upToDate {
-		// Git CLI language.
-		cli.Println("Already up to date.")
+		// dolt uses "Everything up-to-date" message, but Git CLI uses "Already up to date".
+		cli.Println(doltdb.ErrUpToDate.Error())
 		return 0
 	}
 
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ func everythingUpToDate(row sql.Row) (bool, error) {
 
 	if hash, ok := row[hashColumn].(string); ok {
 		if msg, ok := row[msgColumn].(string); ok {
-			if hash == "" && msg == "Everything up-to-date" {
+			if hash == "" && msg == doltdb.ErrUpToDate.Error() { // "Everything up-to-date" message.
 				return true, nil
 			}
 		} else {
diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/doltdb/errors.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/doltdb/errors.go
index 3c0c0d8a850..d2cbf7a3e57 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/doltdb/errors.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/doltdb/errors.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ var ErrAlreadyOnWorkspace = errors.New("Already on workspace")
 
 var ErrNomsIO = errors.New("error reading from or writing to noms")
 
+// ErrUpToDate is returned when a merge is up-to-date. Not actually an error, and we do use this message in non-error contexts.
 var ErrUpToDate = errors.New("Everything up-to-date")
 var ErrIsAhead = errors.New("cannot fast forward from a to b. a is ahead of b already")
 var ErrIsBehind = errors.New("cannot reverse from b to a. b is a is behind a already")
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/shallow-clone.bats b/integration-tests/bats/shallow-clone.bats
index a957b6958d4..294b29e72ef 100644
--- a/integration-tests/bats/shallow-clone.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/shallow-clone.bats
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ seed_and_start_serial_remote() {
     dolt checkout main
     run dolt merge other
     [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
-    [[ "$output" =~ "Already up to date" ]] || false
+    [[ "$output" =~ "Everything up-to-date" ]] || false
 }
 
 @test "shallow-clone: push to a new remote should error" {