diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
index ed6138a7ee0b..951dec693f64 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def get_variable(self, *, cmake: T.Optional[str] = None, pkgconfig: T.Optional[s
         val = self.variables.get(internal, default_value)
         if val is not None:
             return val
-        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get an internal variable and no default provided for {self!r}')
+        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get an internal variable {internal} and no default provided')
 
     def generate_link_whole_dependency(self) -> Dependency:
         from ..build import SharedLibrary, CustomTarget, CustomTargetIndex
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/cmake.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/cmake.py
index 4a722157ff56..0baec27d41d7 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/cmake.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/cmake.py
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ def get_variable(self, *, cmake: T.Optional[str] = None, pkgconfig: T.Optional[s
                 return ';'.join(v)
         if default_value is not None:
             return default_value
-        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get cmake variable and no default provided for {self!r}')
+        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get {self.name} cmake variable {cmake} and no default provided')
 
 
 class CMakeDependencyFactory:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/configtool.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/configtool.py
index 476f7ad420aa..ea7b33d44955 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/configtool.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/configtool.py
@@ -170,4 +170,4 @@ def get_variable(self, *, cmake: T.Optional[str] = None, pkgconfig: T.Optional[s
                 return variable
         if default_value is not None:
             return default_value
-        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get config-tool variable and no default provided for {self!r}')
+        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get {self.name} variable {configtool} using {self.tool_name} and no default provided')
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
index c6e6a5e4f2ca..dba13637ca9d 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
@@ -586,4 +586,4 @@ def get_variable(self, *, cmake: T.Optional[str] = None, pkgconfig: T.Optional[s
                 pass
         if default_value is not None:
             return default_value
-        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get pkg-config variable and no default provided for {self!r}')
+        raise DependencyException(f'Could not get {self.name} pkg-config variable {pkgconfig} and no default provided')