diff --git a/test/cmd/create.sh b/test/cmd/create.sh
index fda8e148a1f..bf9bf4ebb61 100755
--- a/test/cmd/create.sh
+++ b/test/cmd/create.sh
@@ -154,6 +154,27 @@ run_kubectl_create_kustomization_directory_tests() {
   set +o errexit
 }
 
+has_one_of_error_message() {
+  local message=$1
+  local match1=$2
+  local match2=$3
+
+  if (grep -q "${match1}" <<< "${message}") || (grep -q "${match2}" <<< "${message}"); then
+    echo "Successful"
+    echo "message:${message}"
+    echo "has either:${match1}"
+    echo "or:${match2}"
+    return 0
+  else
+    echo "FAIL!"
+    echo "message:${message}"
+    echo "has neither:${match1}"
+    echo "nor:${match2}"
+    caller
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 # Runs tests related to kubectl create --validate
 run_kubectl_create_validate_tests() {
   set -o nounset
@@ -165,7 +186,7 @@ run_kubectl_create_validate_tests() {
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create --validate=true"
   # create and verify
   output_message=$(! kubectl create -f hack/testdata/invalid-deployment-unknown-and-duplicate-fields.yaml --validate=true 2>&1)
-  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error validating data'
+  has_one_of_error_message "${output_message}" 'strict decoding error' 'error validating data'
 
   ## test  --validate=false
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create --validate=false"
@@ -179,7 +200,7 @@ run_kubectl_create_validate_tests() {
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create --validate=strict"
   # create and verify
   output_message=$(! kubectl create -f hack/testdata/invalid-deployment-unknown-and-duplicate-fields.yaml --validate=strict 2>&1)
-  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error validating data'
+  has_one_of_error_message "${output_message}" 'strict decoding error' 'error validating data'
 
   ## test --validate=warn
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create --validate=warn"
@@ -201,7 +222,7 @@ run_kubectl_create_validate_tests() {
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create"
   # create and verify
   output_message=$(! kubectl create -f hack/testdata/invalid-deployment-unknown-and-duplicate-fields.yaml 2>&1)
-  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error validating data'
+  has_one_of_error_message "${output_message}" 'strict decoding error' 'error validating data'
 
   ## test invalid validate value
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl create --validate=foo"