diff --git a/command/agent/agent_endpoint.go b/command/agent/agent_endpoint.go
index 9a64838b6..b897d5242 100644
--- a/command/agent/agent_endpoint.go
+++ b/command/agent/agent_endpoint.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) AgentCheckUpdate(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reques
 
 	total := len(update.Output)
 	if total > CheckBufSize {
-		update.Output = fmt.Sprintf("%s\n...\nCaptured %d of %d bytes",
+		update.Output = fmt.Sprintf("%s ... (captured %d of %d bytes)",
 			update.Output[:CheckBufSize], CheckBufSize, total)
 	}
 
diff --git a/command/agent/check.go b/command/agent/check.go
index b82cd0544..c35d0320e 100644
--- a/command/agent/check.go
+++ b/command/agent/check.go
@@ -283,10 +283,10 @@ func (c *CheckTTL) getExpiredOutput() string {
 
 	const prefix = "TTL expired"
 	if c.lastOutput == "" {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s (no output was available before timeout)", prefix)
+		return prefix
 	}
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s (last output before timeout follows)\n\n%s", prefix, c.lastOutput)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s (last output before timeout follows): %s", prefix, c.lastOutput)
 }
 
 // SetStatus is used to update the status of the check,