diff --git a/src/uu/od/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/od/locales/en-US.ftl
index 2c0d8baed49..e123ca9bbc9 100644
--- a/src/uu/od/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/od/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ od-error-overflow = Numerical result out of range
 od-error-invalid-suffix = invalid suffix in {$option} argument {$value}
 od-error-invalid-argument = invalid {$option} argument {$value}
 od-error-argument-too-large = {$option} argument {$value} too large
-od-error-skip-past-end = tried to skip past end of input
+od-error-skip-past-end = cannot skip past end of combined input
 
 # Help messages
 od-help-help = Print help information.
diff --git a/src/uu/od/locales/fr-FR.ftl b/src/uu/od/locales/fr-FR.ftl
index ada0c2d796f..c12d085c16a 100644
--- a/src/uu/od/locales/fr-FR.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/od/locales/fr-FR.ftl
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ od-error-parse-failed = échec de l'analyse
 od-error-invalid-suffix = suffixe invalide dans l'argument {$option} {$value}
 od-error-invalid-argument = argument {$option} invalide {$value}
 od-error-argument-too-large = argument {$option} {$value} trop grand
-od-error-skip-past-end = tentative d'ignorer au-delà de la fin de l'entrée
+od-error-skip-past-end = impossible d'ignorer au-delà de la fin de l'entrée combinée
 
 # Messages d'aide
 od-help-help = Afficher les informations d'aide.
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_od.rs b/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
index f23f241dbae..6da0c4964e0 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
@@ -948,6 +948,21 @@ fn test_skip_bytes_error() {
         .failure();
 }
 
+// The skip is measured over all the inputs joined together, and the message
+// says so, matching GNU od.
+#[test]
+fn test_skip_bytes_past_end_message() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.write("a", "abc");
+    at.write("b", "de");
+    ucmd.arg("-j6")
+        .arg("a")
+        .arg("b")
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_only("od: cannot skip past end of combined input\n");
+}
+
 // A seekable special file such as /dev/null can be skipped past its (empty)
 // end without error, matching GNU od.
 #[cfg(unix)]