diff --git a/pr-checks/bundle-changelog.ts b/pr-checks/bundle-changelog.ts
index 243cbd86b..557a8556c 100755
--- a/pr-checks/bundle-changelog.ts
+++ b/pr-checks/bundle-changelog.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,13 @@
 
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 
-import { getErrorMessage } from "../src/util";
-
 import {
   parseChangelog,
   renderChangelog,
   UNRELEASED_PLACEHOLDER,
 } from "./changelog";
 import { CHANGELOG_FILE, CLI_BUNDLE_RELEASE_URL_PREFIX } from "./config";
+import { getErrorMessage } from "./util";
 
 export const CLI_VERSION_ENV_VAR = "CLI_VERSION";
 export const PR_URL_ENV_VAR = "PR_URL";
diff --git a/pr-checks/prepare-changelog.ts b/pr-checks/prepare-changelog.ts
index 9ee89767b..0c89699fc 100755
--- a/pr-checks/prepare-changelog.ts
+++ b/pr-checks/prepare-changelog.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import { parseArgs } from "node:util";
 
-import { getErrorMessage } from "../src/util";
-
 import { NO_CHANGES_STR, parseChangelog } from "./changelog";
 import { CHANGELOG_FILE } from "./config";
+import { getErrorMessage } from "./util";
 
 /**
  * Prepare the changelog for the new release
diff --git a/pr-checks/rollback-changelog.ts b/pr-checks/rollback-changelog.ts
index 23b10c935..e0b3634da 100755
--- a/pr-checks/rollback-changelog.ts
+++ b/pr-checks/rollback-changelog.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import { parseArgs } from "node:util";
 
-import { getErrorMessage } from "../src/util";
-
 import {
   Changelog,
   ChangelogSection,
@@ -17,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   renderChangelog,
 } from "./changelog";
 import { CHANGELOG_FILE } from "./config";
+import { getErrorMessage } from "./util";
 
 export interface RollbackChangelogInputs {
   "target-version": string;
diff --git a/pr-checks/util.ts b/pr-checks/util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..353b2a965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pr-checks/util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+ * Returns an appropriate message for the error.
+ *
+ * If the error is an `Error` instance, this returns the error message without
+ * an `Error: ` prefix.
+ */
+export function getErrorMessage(error: unknown): string {
+  return error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+}