diff --git a/src/main/java/org/junit/Assert.java b/src/main/java/org/junit/Assert.java
index 80ba8a8f6e9aa..a3d7905e6d243 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/junit/Assert.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/junit/Assert.java
@@ -1031,6 +1031,6 @@ public static <T extends Throwable> T assertThrows(String message, Class<T> expe
     }
 
     private static String buildPrefix(String message) {
-        return message != null && message.length() != 0 ? message + " ==> " : "";
+        return message != null && message.length() != 0 ? message + ": " : "";
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/junit/tests/assertion/AssertionTest.java b/src/test/java/org/junit/tests/assertion/AssertionTest.java
index edb781f2dbd0b..d0c3bdfddc59f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/junit/tests/assertion/AssertionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/junit/tests/assertion/AssertionTest.java
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ public void assertThrowsIncludesTheSpecifiedMessage() {
             assertThrows("Foobar", Throwable.class, nonThrowingRunnable());
         } catch (AssertionError ex) {
             assertEquals(
-                    "Foobar ==> expected java.lang.Throwable to be thrown, but nothing was thrown",
+                    "Foobar: expected java.lang.Throwable to be thrown, but nothing was thrown",
                     ex.getMessage());
             return;
         }
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ public void assertThrowsSuppliesTheSpecifiedMessageUponTypeMismatch() {
         try {
             assertThrows("Foobar", IOException.class, throwingRunnable(npe));
         } catch (AssertionError error) {
-            assertEquals("Foobar ==> unexpected exception type thrown; expected:<java.io.IOException> but was:<java.lang.NullPointerException>",
+            assertEquals("Foobar: unexpected exception type thrown; expected:<java.io.IOException> but was:<java.lang.NullPointerException>",
                     error.getMessage());
             assertSame(npe, error.getCause());
             return;