diff --git a/spec/ruby/core/kernel/shared/require.rb b/spec/ruby/core/kernel/shared/require.rb
index 3e22f6fee2a1..250813191b8e 100644
--- a/spec/ruby/core/kernel/shared/require.rb
+++ b/spec/ruby/core/kernel/shared/require.rb
@@ -221,15 +221,17 @@
 
     platform_is :linux, :darwin do
       it "loads c-extension file when passed absolute path without extension when no .rb is present" do
+        # the error message is specific to what dlerror() returns
         path = File.join CODE_LOADING_DIR, "a", "load_fixture"
-        -> { @object.send(@method, path) }.should raise_error(Exception, /file too short/)
+        -> { @object.send(@method, path) }.should raise_error(Exception, /file too short|not a mach-o file/)
       end
     end
 
     platform_is :darwin do
       it "loads .bundle file when passed absolute path with .so" do
+        # the error message is specific to what dlerror() returns
         path = File.join CODE_LOADING_DIR, "a", "load_fixture.so"
-        -> { @object.send(@method, path) }.should raise_error(Exception, /load_fixture\.bundle.+file too short/)
+        -> { @object.send(@method, path) }.should raise_error(Exception, /load_fixture\.bundle.+(file too short|not a mach-o file)/)
       end
     end