diff --git a/compose/project.py b/compose/project.py
index 478e50b55..092c1e123 100644
--- a/compose/project.py
+++ b/compose/project.py
@@ -812,7 +812,7 @@ def get_secrets(service, service_secrets, secret_defs):
         if not path.isfile(str(secret_file)):
             log.warning(
                 "Service \"{service}\" uses an undefined secret file \"{secret_file}\", "
-                "the following folder is created \"{secret_file}\"".format(
+                "the following file should be created \"{secret_file}\"".format(
                     service=service, secret_file=secret_file
                 )
             )
diff --git a/tests/unit/project_test.py b/tests/unit/project_test.py
index e1453e7f6..de16febf5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/project_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/project_test.py
@@ -922,6 +922,6 @@ class ProjectTest(unittest.TestCase):
             get_secrets(service, [secret], secret_defs)
 
         mock_log.warning.assert_called_with("Service \"{service}\" uses an undefined secret file "
-                                            "\"{secret_file}\", the following folder is created "
+                                            "\"{secret_file}\", the following file should be created "
                                             "\"{secret_file}\""
                                             .format(service=service, secret_file=not_a_path))