diff --git a/matlab/tests/test_requestnames.m b/matlab/tests/test_requestnames.m
index e64a4bc998b6609f1a0e1b0397934444d68d8cf1..825e9059d4252782ae444015ec57f84fc94d0d37 100644
--- a/matlab/tests/test_requestnames.m
+++ b/matlab/tests/test_requestnames.m
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ classdef (SharedTestFixtures={...
       testCase.assertTrue(ischar(request));
       
       testCase.assumeFalse(ismember(testCase.Skiplist,request),...
-        'Skipped request %s since it is on the skiplist for %s',request,testCase.Machine);
+        sprintf('Skipped request %s since it is on the skiplist for %s',request,testCase.Machine));
       
       % gdat call
       gdat_call = sprintf(['gdat_' lower(testCase.Machine) '(%s,''%s'')'],shot,request);