diff --git a/x-pack/docs/en/rest-api/ml/jobresource.asciidoc b/x-pack/docs/en/rest-api/ml/jobresource.asciidoc
index e2d35082fb84a..7cccbb83ac029 100644
--- a/x-pack/docs/en/rest-api/ml/jobresource.asciidoc
+++ b/x-pack/docs/en/rest-api/ml/jobresource.asciidoc
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ A rule has the following properties:
 +
 --
 NOTE: If your detector uses `lat_long`, `metric`, `rare`, or `freq_rare` 
-functions, you cannot specify `conditions` for your rule.
+functions, you can only specify `conditions` that apply to `time`.
 
   
 A condition has the following properties: 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/messages/Messages.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/messages/Messages.java
index 259d2d06a9c6e..78030c16cedd2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/messages/Messages.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/messages/Messages.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public final class Messages {
     public static final String JOB_CONFIG_CATEGORIZATION_ANALYZER_REQUIRES_CATEGORIZATION_FIELD_NAME =
             "categorization_analyzer requires setting categorization_field_name";
     public static final String JOB_CONFIG_DETECTION_RULE_NOT_SUPPORTED_BY_FUNCTION =
-            "Invalid detector rule: function {0} does not support rules with conditions";
+            "Invalid detector rule: function {0} only supports conditions that apply to time";
     public static final String JOB_CONFIG_DETECTION_RULE_REQUIRES_SCOPE_OR_CONDITION =
             "Invalid detector rule: at least scope or a condition is required";
     public static final String JOB_CONFIG_DETECTION_RULE_SCOPE_HAS_INVALID_FIELD =
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/config/DetectorTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/config/DetectorTests.java
index c9be0d3b89248..ec3bbd2827599 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/config/DetectorTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/job/config/DetectorTests.java
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsLatLong() {
 
         ElasticsearchException e = ESTestCase.expectThrows(ElasticsearchException.class, detector::build);
 
-        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function lat_long does not support rules with conditions"));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function lat_long only supports conditions that apply to time"));
     }
 
     public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsMetric() {
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsMetric() {
 
         ElasticsearchException e = ESTestCase.expectThrows(ElasticsearchException.class, detector::build);
 
-        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function metric does not support rules with conditions"));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function metric only supports conditions that apply to time"));
     }
 
     public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsRare() {
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsRare() {
 
         ElasticsearchException e = ESTestCase.expectThrows(ElasticsearchException.class, detector::build);
 
-        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function rare does not support rules with conditions"));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function rare only supports conditions that apply to time"));
     }
 
     public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsFreqRare() {
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ public void testVerify_GivenRulesAndFunctionIsFreqRare() {
 
         ElasticsearchException e = ESTestCase.expectThrows(ElasticsearchException.class, detector::build);
 
-        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function freq_rare does not support rules with conditions"));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Invalid detector rule: function freq_rare only supports conditions that apply to time"));
     }
 
     public void testVerify_GivenTimeConditionRuleAndFunctionIsLatLong() {