diff --git a/asdf.texinfo b/asdf.texinfo
index 5db2ccde856d18deacffeea5e9e4ec547a927cda..250b9e2bd659d94ac7bda72dc0c8effd5049a50a 100644
--- a/asdf.texinfo
+++ b/asdf.texinfo
@@ -1516,8 +1516,7 @@ for a full specification on how to configure @code{asdf-output-translations}.
 
 @section ASDF errors
 
-It is an error to define a system incorrectly:
-if ASDF detects an incorrect system definition, it will signal a generalised instance of
+If ASDF detects an incorrect system definition, it will signal a generalised instance of
 @code{SYSTEM-DEFINITION-ERROR}.
 
 Operations may go wrong (for example when source files contain errors).