diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
index c0065045ebee..51ff70c3ed83 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ void ModFileWriter::Write(const Symbol &symbol) {
   const auto *ancestor{module.ancestor()};
   isSubmodule_ = ancestor != nullptr;
   auto ancestorName{ancestor ? ancestor->GetName().value().ToString() : ""s};
-  auto path{context_.moduleDirectory() + '/' +
+  std::string path{context_.moduleDirectory() + '/' +
       ModFileName(symbol.name(), ancestorName, context_.moduleFileSuffix())};
 
   UnorderedSymbolSet hermeticModules;
@@ -1392,7 +1392,8 @@ Scope *ModFileReader::Read(SourceName name, std::optional<bool> isIntrinsic,
     // USE, NON_INTRINSIC global name isn't a module?
     fatalError = isIntrinsic.has_value();
   }
-  auto path{ModFileName(name, ancestorName, context_.moduleFileSuffix())};
+  std::string path{
+      ModFileName(name, ancestorName, context_.moduleFileSuffix())};
   parser::Parsing parsing{context_.allCookedSources()};
   parser::Options options;
   options.isModuleFile = true;
@@ -1468,7 +1469,7 @@ Scope *ModFileReader::Read(SourceName name, std::optional<bool> isIntrinsic,
       } else {
         for (auto &msg : parsing.messages().messages()) {
           std::string str{msg.ToString()};
-          Say(name, ancestorName,
+          Say("parse", name, ancestorName,
               parser::MessageFixedText{str.c_str(), str.size(), msg.severity()},
               path);
         }
@@ -1480,11 +1481,11 @@ Scope *ModFileReader::Read(SourceName name, std::optional<bool> isIntrinsic,
   std::optional<ModuleCheckSumType> checkSum{
       VerifyHeader(sourceFile->content())};
   if (!checkSum) {
-    Say(name, ancestorName, "File has invalid checksum: %s"_err_en_US,
+    Say("use", name, ancestorName, "File has invalid checksum: %s"_err_en_US,
         sourceFile->path());
     return nullptr;
   } else if (requiredHash && *requiredHash != *checkSum) {
-    Say(name, ancestorName,
+    Say("use", name, ancestorName,
         "File is not the right module file for %s"_err_en_US,
         "'"s + name.ToString() + "': "s + sourceFile->path());
     return nullptr;
@@ -1494,7 +1495,7 @@ Scope *ModFileReader::Read(SourceName name, std::optional<bool> isIntrinsic,
   std::optional<parser::Program> &parsedProgram{parsing.parseTree()};
   if (!parsing.messages().empty() || !parsing.consumedWholeFile() ||
       !parsedProgram) {
-    Say(name, ancestorName, "Module file is corrupt: %s"_err_en_US,
+    Say("parse", name, ancestorName, "Module file is corrupt: %s"_err_en_US,
         sourceFile->path());
     return nullptr;
   }
@@ -1572,10 +1573,10 @@ Scope *ModFileReader::Read(SourceName name, std::optional<bool> isIntrinsic,
   }
 }
 
-parser::Message &ModFileReader::Say(SourceName name,
+parser::Message &ModFileReader::Say(const char *verb, SourceName name,
     const std::string &ancestor, parser::MessageFixedText &&msg,
     const std::string &arg) {
-  return context_.Say(name, "Cannot read module file for %s: %s"_err_en_US,
+  return context_.Say(name, "Cannot %s module file for %s: %s"_err_en_US, verb,
       parser::MessageFormattedText{ancestor.empty()
               ? "module '%s'"_en_US
               : "submodule '%s' of module '%s'"_en_US,
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.h b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.h
index 49bcef0c923f..82538fb51087 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.h
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public:
 private:
   SemanticsContext &context_;
 
-  parser::Message &Say(SourceName, const std::string &,
+  parser::Message &Say(const char *verb, SourceName, const std::string &,
       parser::MessageFixedText &&, const std::string &);
 };
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Driver/intrinsic-module-path.f90 b/flang/test/Driver/intrinsic-module-path.f90
index 15d19dd83d96..8fe486cf61c8 100644
--- a/flang/test/Driver/intrinsic-module-path.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Driver/intrinsic-module-path.f90
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 ! WITHOUT-NOT: 'ieee_arithmetic.mod' was not found
 ! WITHOUT-NOT: 'iso_fortran_env.mod' was not found
 
-! GIVEN: error: Cannot read module file for module 'ieee_arithmetic': File has invalid checksum
-! GIVEN: error: Cannot read module file for module 'iso_fortran_env': File has invalid checksum
+! GIVEN: error: Cannot use module file for module 'ieee_arithmetic': File has invalid checksum
+! GIVEN: error: Cannot use module file for module 'iso_fortran_env': File has invalid checksum
 
 
 program test_intrinsic_module_path
diff --git a/flang/test/Driver/use-module.f90 b/flang/test/Driver/use-module.f90
index 2c3a38043fe1..ec650475f0b0 100644
--- a/flang/test/Driver/use-module.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Driver/use-module.f90
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@
 
 ! INCLUDED-NOT: error
 
-! MISSING_MOD2-NOT:error: Cannot read module file for module 'basictestmoduleone''
+! MISSING_MOD2-NOT:error: Cannot parse module file for module 'basictestmoduleone''
 ! MISSING_MOD2-NOT:error: Derived type 't1' not found
-! MISSING_MOD2:error: Cannot read module file for module 'basictestmoduletwo'
+! MISSING_MOD2:error: Cannot parse module file for module 'basictestmoduletwo'
 ! MISSING_MOD2:error: Derived type 't2' not found
 
-! SINGLEINCLUDE-NOT:error: Cannot read module file for module 'basictestmoduleone'
+! SINGLEINCLUDE-NOT:error: Cannot parse module file for module 'basictestmoduleone'
 ! SINGLEINCLUDE:error: Derived type 't1' not found
-! SINGLEINCLUDE-NOT:error: Cannot read module file for module 'basictestmoduletwo'
+! SINGLEINCLUDE-NOT:error: Cannot parse module file for module 'basictestmoduletwo'
 ! SINGLEINCLUDE-NOT:error: Derived type 't2' not found
 
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile43.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile43.f90
index 1629e053c711..1a50e94698f6 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile43.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile43.f90
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@ module m4
   use :: iso_fortran_env, only: user_defined_123
 end module
 module m5
-  !ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'ieee_arithmetic': Source file 'ieee_arithmetic.mod' was not found
+  !ERROR: Cannot parse module file for module 'ieee_arithmetic': Source file 'ieee_arithmetic.mod' was not found
   use, non_intrinsic :: ieee_arithmetic, only: ieee_selected_real_kind
 end module
 module notAnIntrinsicModule
 end module
 module m6
-  !ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'notanintrinsicmodule': Source file 'notanintrinsicmodule.mod' was not found
+  !ERROR: Cannot parse module file for module 'notanintrinsicmodule': Source file 'notanintrinsicmodule.mod' was not found
   use, intrinsic :: notAnIntrinsicModule
 end module
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile63.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile63.f90
index ea8e11958ed8..167b997443c7 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile63.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile63.f90
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ use modfile63b
 call s2
 end
 
-! ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'modfile63a': File is not the right module file for 'modfile63a':
+! ERROR: Cannot use module file for module 'modfile63a': File is not the right module file for 'modfile63a':
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile70.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile70.f90
index ab387bbf0db6..beb2ec9c9d15 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/modfile70.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/modfile70.f90
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 end
 
 ! RUN: not %flang_fc1 -fsyntax-only -J%S/Inputs -w %s 2>&1 | FileCheck --check-prefix=ERROR %s
-! ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'modfile70': File has invalid checksum:
+! ERROR: Cannot use module file for module 'modfile70': File has invalid checksum:
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve12.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve12.f90
index aa9dbd7f0060..dd674c33eab9 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve12.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve12.f90
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ subroutine sub
 end
 
 use m1
-!ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'm2': Source file 'm2.mod' was not found
+!ERROR: Cannot parse module file for module 'm2': Source file 'm2.mod' was not found
 use m2
 !ERROR: 'sub' is not a module
 use sub
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve26.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve26.f90
index 5e77cc4fbe9a..a416830e488e 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve26.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve26.f90
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ end
 submodule(m1) s1
 end
 
-!ERROR: Cannot read module file for submodule 's1' of module 'm2': Source file 'm2-s1.mod' was not found
+!ERROR: Cannot parse module file for submodule 's1' of module 'm2': Source file 'm2-s1.mod' was not found
 submodule(m2:s1) s2
 end
 
-!ERROR: Cannot read module file for module 'm3': Source file 'm3.mod' was not found
+!ERROR: Cannot parse module file for module 'm3': Source file 'm3.mod' was not found
 submodule(m3:s1) s3
 end