diff --git a/R/checks.R b/R/checks.R
index 28dfcddb3..0d0e00f4c 100644
--- a/R/checks.R
+++ b/R/checks.R
@@ -201,11 +201,10 @@ check_installs <- function(x, call = caller_env()) {
   if (length(deps) > 0) {
     is_inst <- purrr::map_lgl(deps, is_installed)
     if (any(!is_inst)) {
-      deps_not_installed <- deps[!is_inst]
-      deps_not_installed <- deps_not_installed[!duplicated(deps_not_installed)]
+      needs_installed <- unique(deps[!is_inst])
       cli::cli_abort(
-        "{cli::qty(deps_not_installed)} Package install{?s} {?is/are} \\
-         required for {.pkg {deps_not_installed}}.",
+        "{cli::qty(needs_installed)} Package install{?s} {?is/are} \\
+         required for {.pkg {needs_installed}}.",
         call = call
       )
     }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/checks.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/checks.md
index 7030ea19e..45721a50d 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/checks.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/checks.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
       Error in `tune:::check_workflow()`:
       ! A parsnip model is required.
 
-# errors informatively with needed package install
+# errors informatively when needed package isn't installed
 
     Code
       check_workflow(stan_wflow)
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-checks.R b/tests/testthat/test-checks.R
index 7d4f73aa9..f1d8e6762 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-checks.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-checks.R
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ test_that("workflow objects", {
   })
 })
 
-test_that("errors informatively with needed package install", {
+test_that("errors informatively when needed package isn't installed", {
   # rstanarm is not installed during CI runs
   # in contexts where it _is_ installed, skip the test.
   skip_if(rlang::is_installed("rstanarm"))