diff --git a/pkg/app/app_diff_test.go b/pkg/app/app_diff_test.go
index 7f071ee9..280385c8 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app_diff_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app_diff_test.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ releases:
 	t.Run("fail on unselected need by default", func(t *testing.T) {
 		check(t, testcase{
 			selectors: []string{"app=test"},
-			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release "default/default/external-secrets" depends on "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets" which does not match the selectors. Please add a selector like "--selector name=kubernetes-external-secrets", or indicate whether to skip (--skip-needs) or include (--include-needs) these dependencies`,
+			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?`,
 		})
 	})
 
diff --git a/pkg/app/app_lint_test.go b/pkg/app/app_lint_test.go
index bcab8164..7e92788a 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app_lint_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app_lint_test.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ releases:
 	t.Run("fail on unselected need by default when skip-need=false", func(t *testing.T) {
 		check(t, testcase{
 			selectors: []string{"app=test"},
-			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release "default/default/external-secrets" depends on "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets" which does not match the selectors. Please add a selector like "--selector name=kubernetes-external-secrets", or indicate whether to skip (--skip-needs) or include (--include-needs) these dependencies`,
+			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?`,
 		})
 	})
 
diff --git a/pkg/app/app_template_test.go b/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
index b1105b8a..702fb85b 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ releases:
 	t.Run("fail on unselected need by default", func(t *testing.T) {
 		check(t, testcase{
 			selectors: []string{"app=test"},
-			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release "default/default/external-secrets" depends on "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets" which does not match the selectors. Please add a selector like "--selector name=kubernetes-external-secrets", or indicate whether to skip (--skip-needs) or include (--include-needs) these dependencies`,
+			error:     `in ./helmfile.yaml: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?`,
 		})
 	})
 
diff --git a/pkg/app/testdata/app_diff_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default b/pkg/app/testdata/app_diff_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default
index 56e4c05b..540de2b8 100644
--- a/pkg/app/testdata/app_diff_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default
+++ b/pkg/app/testdata/app_diff_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default
@@ -104,5 +104,5 @@ second-pass rendering result of "helmfile.yaml.part.0":
 merged environment: &{default  map[] map[]}
 2 release(s) matching app=test found in helmfile.yaml
 
-err: release "default/default/external-secrets" depends on "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets" which does not match the selectors. Please add a selector like "--selector name=kubernetes-external-secrets", or indicate whether to skip (--skip-needs) or include (--include-needs) these dependencies
+err: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?
 changing working directory back to "/path/to"
diff --git a/pkg/app/testdata/app_lint_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default_when_skip-need=false b/pkg/app/testdata/app_lint_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default_when_skip-need=false
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..540de2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/app/testdata/app_lint_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default_when_skip-need=false
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+processing file "helmfile.yaml" in directory "."
+changing working directory to "/path/to"
+first-pass rendering starting for "helmfile.yaml.part.0": inherited=&{default  map[] map[]}, overrode=<nil>
+first-pass uses: &{default  map[] map[]}
+first-pass rendering output of "helmfile.yaml.part.0":
+ 0: 
+ 1: releases:
+ 2: - name: logging
+ 3:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 4:   namespace: kube-system
+ 5: 
+ 6: - name: kubernetes-external-secrets
+ 7:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 8:   namespace: kube-system
+ 9:   needs:
+10:   - kube-system/logging
+11: 
+12: - name: external-secrets
+13:   chart: incubator/raw
+14:   namespace: default
+15:   labels:
+16:     app: test
+17:   needs:
+18:   - kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets
+19: 
+20: - name: my-release
+21:   chart: incubator/raw
+22:   namespace: default
+23:   labels:
+24:     app: test
+25:   needs:
+26:   - default/external-secrets
+27: 
+28: 
+29: # Disabled releases are treated as missing
+30: - name: disabled
+31:   chart: incubator/raw
+32:   namespace: kube-system
+33:   installed: false
+34: 
+35: - name: test2
+36:   chart: incubator/raw
+37:   needs:
+38:   - kube-system/disabled
+39: 
+40: - name: test3
+41:   chart: incubator/raw
+42:   needs:
+43:   - test2
+44: 
+
+first-pass produced: &{default  map[] map[]}
+first-pass rendering result of "helmfile.yaml.part.0": {default  map[] map[]}
+vals:
+map[]
+defaultVals:[]
+second-pass rendering result of "helmfile.yaml.part.0":
+ 0: 
+ 1: releases:
+ 2: - name: logging
+ 3:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 4:   namespace: kube-system
+ 5: 
+ 6: - name: kubernetes-external-secrets
+ 7:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 8:   namespace: kube-system
+ 9:   needs:
+10:   - kube-system/logging
+11: 
+12: - name: external-secrets
+13:   chart: incubator/raw
+14:   namespace: default
+15:   labels:
+16:     app: test
+17:   needs:
+18:   - kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets
+19: 
+20: - name: my-release
+21:   chart: incubator/raw
+22:   namespace: default
+23:   labels:
+24:     app: test
+25:   needs:
+26:   - default/external-secrets
+27: 
+28: 
+29: # Disabled releases are treated as missing
+30: - name: disabled
+31:   chart: incubator/raw
+32:   namespace: kube-system
+33:   installed: false
+34: 
+35: - name: test2
+36:   chart: incubator/raw
+37:   needs:
+38:   - kube-system/disabled
+39: 
+40: - name: test3
+41:   chart: incubator/raw
+42:   needs:
+43:   - test2
+44: 
+
+merged environment: &{default  map[] map[]}
+2 release(s) matching app=test found in helmfile.yaml
+
+err: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?
+changing working directory back to "/path/to"
diff --git a/pkg/app/testdata/app_template_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default b/pkg/app/testdata/app_template_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..540de2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/app/testdata/app_template_test/fail_on_unselected_need_by_default
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+processing file "helmfile.yaml" in directory "."
+changing working directory to "/path/to"
+first-pass rendering starting for "helmfile.yaml.part.0": inherited=&{default  map[] map[]}, overrode=<nil>
+first-pass uses: &{default  map[] map[]}
+first-pass rendering output of "helmfile.yaml.part.0":
+ 0: 
+ 1: releases:
+ 2: - name: logging
+ 3:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 4:   namespace: kube-system
+ 5: 
+ 6: - name: kubernetes-external-secrets
+ 7:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 8:   namespace: kube-system
+ 9:   needs:
+10:   - kube-system/logging
+11: 
+12: - name: external-secrets
+13:   chart: incubator/raw
+14:   namespace: default
+15:   labels:
+16:     app: test
+17:   needs:
+18:   - kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets
+19: 
+20: - name: my-release
+21:   chart: incubator/raw
+22:   namespace: default
+23:   labels:
+24:     app: test
+25:   needs:
+26:   - default/external-secrets
+27: 
+28: 
+29: # Disabled releases are treated as missing
+30: - name: disabled
+31:   chart: incubator/raw
+32:   namespace: kube-system
+33:   installed: false
+34: 
+35: - name: test2
+36:   chart: incubator/raw
+37:   needs:
+38:   - kube-system/disabled
+39: 
+40: - name: test3
+41:   chart: incubator/raw
+42:   needs:
+43:   - test2
+44: 
+
+first-pass produced: &{default  map[] map[]}
+first-pass rendering result of "helmfile.yaml.part.0": {default  map[] map[]}
+vals:
+map[]
+defaultVals:[]
+second-pass rendering result of "helmfile.yaml.part.0":
+ 0: 
+ 1: releases:
+ 2: - name: logging
+ 3:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 4:   namespace: kube-system
+ 5: 
+ 6: - name: kubernetes-external-secrets
+ 7:   chart: incubator/raw
+ 8:   namespace: kube-system
+ 9:   needs:
+10:   - kube-system/logging
+11: 
+12: - name: external-secrets
+13:   chart: incubator/raw
+14:   namespace: default
+15:   labels:
+16:     app: test
+17:   needs:
+18:   - kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets
+19: 
+20: - name: my-release
+21:   chart: incubator/raw
+22:   namespace: default
+23:   labels:
+24:     app: test
+25:   needs:
+26:   - default/external-secrets
+27: 
+28: 
+29: # Disabled releases are treated as missing
+30: - name: disabled
+31:   chart: incubator/raw
+32:   namespace: kube-system
+33:   installed: false
+34: 
+35: - name: test2
+36:   chart: incubator/raw
+37:   needs:
+38:   - kube-system/disabled
+39: 
+40: - name: test3
+41:   chart: incubator/raw
+42:   needs:
+43:   - test2
+44: 
+
+merged environment: &{default  map[] map[]}
+2 release(s) matching app=test found in helmfile.yaml
+
+err: release(s) "default/default/external-secrets" depend(s) on an undefined release "default/kube-system/kubernetes-external-secrets". Perhaps you made a typo in "needs" or forgot defining a release named "kubernetes-external-secrets" with appropriate "namespace" and "kubeContext"?
+changing working directory back to "/path/to"