diff --git a/test/error_code_test.cpp b/test/error_code_test.cpp
index 634d609..3703bad 100644
--- a/test/error_code_test.cpp
+++ b/test/error_code_test.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 
 #include <boost/test/minimal.hpp>
 #include <boost/system/error_code.hpp>
+#include <boost/system/cygwin_error.hpp>
+#include <boost/system/linux_error.hpp>
+#include <boost/system/windows_error.hpp>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <string>
@@ -144,17 +147,40 @@ int test_main( int, char ** )
   BOOST_CHECK( system_category == native_ecat );
   BOOST_CHECK( posix_category == errno_ecat );
 
-  // test error_code and error_condition message(),
+  // test error_code and error_condition message();
   // see Boost.Filesystem operations_test for code specific message() tests
   ec = error_code( -1, system_category );
   std::cout << "error_code message for -1 is \"" << ec.message() << "\"\n";
-  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message().substr( 0, 13) == "Unknown error" );
+#if defined(BOOST_WINDOWS_API)
+  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() == "Unknown error" );
+#elif  defined(linux) || defined(__linux) || defined(__linux__)
+  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() == "Unknown error 4294967295" );
+#elif defined(__hpux)
+  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() == "" );
+#elif defined(__osf__)
+  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() == "Error -1 occurred." );
+#elif defined(__vms)
+  BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() == "error -1" );
+#endif
+
   ec = error_code( BOOST_ACCESS_ERROR_MACRO, system_category );
   BOOST_CHECK( ec.message() != "" );
   BOOST_CHECK( ec.message().substr( 0, 13) != "Unknown error" );
+
   dec = error_condition( -1, posix_category );
   std::cout << "error_condition message for -1 is \"" << dec.message() << "\"\n";
-  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message().substr( 0, 13) == "Unknown error" );
+#if defined(BOOST_WINDOWS_API)
+  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() == "Unknown error" );
+#elif  defined(linux) || defined(__linux) || defined(__linux__)
+  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() == "Unknown error 4294967295" );
+#elif defined(__hpux)
+  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() == "" );
+#elif defined(__osf__)
+  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() == "Error -1 occurred." );
+#elif defined(__vms)
+  BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() == "error -1" );
+#endif
+
   dec = error_condition( BOOST_ACCESS_ERROR_MACRO, posix_category );
   BOOST_CHECK( dec.message() != "" );
   BOOST_CHECK( dec.message().substr( 0, 13) != "Unknown error" );