diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/lock.v b/vlib/v/parser/lock.v
index 69ba317035..21668095e5 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/lock.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/lock.v
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ fn (mut p Parser) lock_expr() ast.LockExpr {
 	for {
 		is_rlock := p.tok.kind == .key_rlock
 		if !is_rlock && p.tok.kind != .key_lock {
-			p.unexpected(expecting: '`lock` or `rlock`')
+			p.unexpected(expecting: 'one or more shared variable names')
 		}
 		p.next()
 		if p.tok.kind == .lcbr {
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.out b/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2dbfb75fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.vv:1:6: error: unexpected token `:=`, expecting one or more shared variable names
+    1 | lock := 12
+      |      ~~
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.vv b/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c79d16f580
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/tests/lock_var_name_assign_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+lock := 12