diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/elements/DateTimeWithPrecision.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/elements/DateTimeWithPrecision.java
index a3fc56cc5..6c495c60f 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/elements/DateTimeWithPrecision.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/elements/DateTimeWithPrecision.java
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ public class DateTimeWithPrecision extends BaseEditElement {
             }
         }
         if( nonNullAfterFirstNull )
-            throw new Exception("cannot determine precision, there were filled out values after the first un-filledout value, ");
+            throw new Exception("Invalid date-time value. When creating a date-time value, there cannot be gaps between any of the selected fields.");
         else{            
             return precisions[ indexOfFirstNull ].uri(); 
         }