diff --git a/pkg/eval/builtin_special.go b/pkg/eval/builtin_special.go
index c493b9bb..08b9b2c3 100644
--- a/pkg/eval/builtin_special.go
+++ b/pkg/eval/builtin_special.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func compileDel(cp *compiler, fn *parse.Form) effectOp {
 				f = delLocalVarOp{ref.index}
 				cp.thisScope().infos[ref.index].deleted = true
 			} else {
-				cp.errorpf(cn, "only variables in local: or E: can be deleted")
+				cp.errorpf(cn, "only variables in the local scope or E: can be deleted")
 				continue
 			}
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/eval/builtin_special_test.go b/pkg/eval/builtin_special_test.go
index fdab0ce4..cbf06d43 100644
--- a/pkg/eval/builtin_special_test.go
+++ b/pkg/eval/builtin_special_test.go
@@ -189,8 +189,6 @@ func TestDel(t *testing.T) {
 		// Deleting variable
 		That("var x = 1; del x").DoesNothing(),
 		That("var x = 1; del x; echo $x").DoesNotCompile(),
-		That("var x = 1; del :x; echo $x").DoesNotCompile(),
-		That("var x = 1; del local:x; echo $x").DoesNotCompile(),
 		// Deleting environment variable
 		That("has-env TEST_ENV", "del E:TEST_ENV", "has-env TEST_ENV").Puts(true, false),
 		// Deleting variable whose name contains special characters