diff --git a/pkg/app/app_template_test.go b/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
index 2890a4d7..e42122e1 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app_template_test.go
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ releases:
 	t.Run("fail due to unknown field with goccy/go-yaml", func(t *testing.T) {
 		check(t, testcase{
 			goccyGoYaml: true,
-			error: `in ./helmfile.yaml: failed to read helmfile.yaml: reading document at index 1, you should add .gotmpl extension to your helmfile to enable helmfile to load it as a template since helmfile v1: [4:3] unknown field "foobar"
+			error: `in ./helmfile.yaml: failed to read helmfile.yaml: reading document at index 1. Started seeing this since Helmfile v1? Add the .gotmpl file extension: [4:3] unknown field "foobar"
    2 | releases:
    3 | - name: app1
 >  4 |   foobar: FOOBAR
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ releases:
 	t.Run("fail due to unknown field with gopkg.in/yaml.v2", func(t *testing.T) {
 		check(t, testcase{
 			goccyGoYaml: false,
-			error: `in ./helmfile.yaml: failed to read helmfile.yaml: reading document at index 1, you should add .gotmpl extension to your helmfile to enable helmfile to load it as a template since helmfile v1: yaml: unmarshal errors:
+			error: `in ./helmfile.yaml: failed to read helmfile.yaml: reading document at index 1. Started seeing this since Helmfile v1? Add the .gotmpl file extension: yaml: unmarshal errors:
   line 4: field foobar not found in type state.ReleaseSpec`,
 		})
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/state/create.go b/pkg/state/create.go
index 8ae4150b..b175faf9 100644
--- a/pkg/state/create.go
+++ b/pkg/state/create.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -109,7 +110,10 @@ func (c *StateCreator) Parse(content []byte, baseDir, file string) (*HelmState,
 		if err == io.EOF {
 			break
 		} else if err != nil {
-			return nil, &StateLoadError{fmt.Sprintf("failed to read %s: reading document at index %d, you should add .gotmpl extension to your helmfile to enable helmfile to load it as a template since helmfile v1", file, i), err}
+			if filepath.Ext(file) != ".gotmpl" {
+				return nil, &StateLoadError{fmt.Sprintf("failed to read %s: reading document at index %d. Started seeing this since Helmfile v1? Add the .gotmpl file extension", file, i), err}
+			}
+			return nil, &StateLoadError{fmt.Sprintf("failed to read %s: reading document at index %d", file, i), err}
 		}
 
 		if err := mergo.Merge(&state, &intermediate, mergo.WithAppendSlice); err != nil {