diff --git a/lib/ftp.c b/lib/ftp.c
index 39491b1bb..69243684e 100644
--- a/lib/ftp.c
+++ b/lib/ftp.c
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_GetFTPResponse(ssize_t *nreadp, /* return number of bytes read */
       switch (Curl_socket_ready(sockfd, CURL_SOCKET_BAD, (int)interval_ms)) {
       case -1: /* select() error, stop reading */
         result = CURLE_RECV_ERROR;
-        failf(data, "FTP response aborted due to select() error: %d",
+        failf(data, "FTP response aborted due to select/poll error: %d",
               SOCKERRNO);
         break;
       case 0: /* timeout */
@@ -2813,7 +2813,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_ftp_multi_statemach(struct connectdata *conn,
                    0);
 
   if(rc == -1) {
-    failf(data, "select error");
+    failf(data, "select/poll error");
     return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
   }
   else if(rc != 0) {
@@ -2846,7 +2846,7 @@ static CURLcode ftp_easy_statemach(struct connectdata *conn)
                      (int)timeout_ms);
 
     if(rc == -1) {
-      failf(data, "select error");
+      failf(data, "select/poll error");
       return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
     }
     else if(rc == 0) {
diff --git a/lib/gtls.c b/lib/gtls.c
index 3393a34ff..3def5d998 100644
--- a/lib/gtls.c
+++ b/lib/gtls.c
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ static CURLcode handshake(struct connectdata *conn,
       }
       else {
         /* anything that gets here is fatally bad */
-        failf(data, "select on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
+        failf(data, "select/poll on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
         return CURLE_SSL_CONNECT_ERROR;
       }
     }
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ int Curl_gtls_shutdown(struct connectdata *conn, int sockindex)
       }
       else {
         /* anything that gets here is fatally bad */
-        failf(data, "select on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
+        failf(data, "select/poll on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
         retval = -1;
         done = 1;
       }
diff --git a/lib/http.c b/lib/http.c
index 94d2cc00c..187c0a43d 100644
--- a/lib/http.c
+++ b/lib/http.c
@@ -1277,7 +1277,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_proxyCONNECT(struct connectdata *conn,
                             check<1000L?(int)check:1000)) {
         case -1: /* select() error, stop reading */
           error = SELECT_ERROR;
-          failf(data, "Proxy CONNECT aborted due to select() error");
+          failf(data, "Proxy CONNECT aborted due to select/poll error");
           break;
         case 0: /* timeout */
           break;
diff --git a/lib/ssluse.c b/lib/ssluse.c
index dca894770..8265f13b3 100644
--- a/lib/ssluse.c
+++ b/lib/ssluse.c
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ int Curl_ossl_shutdown(struct connectdata *conn, int sockindex)
       }
       else {
         /* anything that gets here is fatally bad */
-        failf(data, "select on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
+        failf(data, "select/poll on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
         retval = -1;
         done = 1;
       }
@@ -1745,7 +1745,7 @@ Curl_ossl_connect_common(struct connectdata *conn,
         }
         else {
           /* anything that gets here is fatally bad */
-          failf(data, "select on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
+          failf(data, "select/poll on SSL socket, errno: %d", SOCKERRNO);
           return CURLE_SSL_CONNECT_ERROR;
         }
       } /* while()-loop for the select() */