diff --git a/pyxform/tests_v1/test_fields.py b/pyxform/tests_v1/test_fields.py
index dc8b7b55f..125dbaed6 100644
--- a/pyxform/tests_v1/test_fields.py
+++ b/pyxform/tests_v1/test_fields.py
@@ -42,81 +42,97 @@ def test_duplicate_fields_diff_cases(self):
             error__contains=["There are more than one survey elements named 'age'"],
         )
 
-    def test_duplicate_choice_list_without_settings(self):
+    def test_duplicate_choices_without_setting(self):
         self.assertPyxformXform(
             md="""
-            | survey  |                 |          |       |
-            |         | type            | name     | label |
-            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1    |
-            | choices |                 |          |       |
-            |         | list name       | name     | label  |
-            |         | list            | option a | a      |
-            |         | list            | option b | b      |
-            |         | list            | option b | c      |
+            | survey  |                 |          |          |
+            |         | type            | name     | label    |
+            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1       |
+            | choices |                 |          |          |
+            |         | list name       | name     | label    |
+            |         | list            | a        | option a |
+            |         | list            | b        | option b |
+            |         | list            | b        | option c |
             """,
             errored=True,
             error__contains=[
-                "There does not seem to be a"
-                " `allow_choice_duplicates` column header defined"
-                " in your settings sheet"
+                "The name column for the 'list' choice list contains these duplicates: 'b'"
             ],  # noqa
         )
 
-    def test_duplicate_choice_list_with_wrong_setting(self):
+    def test_multiple_duplicate_choices_without_setting(self):
         self.assertPyxformXform(
             md="""
-            | survey  |                 |          |       |
-            |         | type            | name     | label |
-            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1    |
-            | choices |                 |          |       |
-            |         | list name       | name     | label  |
-            |         | list            | option a | a      |
-            |         | list            | option b | b      |
-            |         | list            | option b | c      |
-            | settings |                |          |        |
+            | survey  |                 |          |          |
+            |         | type            | name     | label    |
+            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1       |
+            | choices |                 |          |          |
+            |         | list name       | name     | label    |
+            |         | list            | a        | option a |
+            |         | list            | a        | option b |
+            |         | list            | b        | option c |
+            |         | list            | b        | option d |
+            """,
+            errored=True,
+            error__contains=[
+                "The name column for the 'list' choice list contains these duplicates: 'a', 'b'"
+            ],  # noqa
+        )
+
+    def test_duplicate_choices_with_setting_not_set_to_yes(self):
+        self.assertPyxformXform(
+            md="""
+            | survey  |                 |          |          |
+            |         | type            | name     | label    |
+            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1       |
+            | choices |                 |          |          |
+            |         | list name       | name     | label    |
+            |         | list            | a        | option a |
+            |         | list            | b        | option b |
+            |         | list            | b        | option c |
+            | settings |                |          |          |
             |          | id_string    | allow_choice_duplicates   |
-            |          | Duplicates   | True                       |
+            |          | Duplicates   | Bob                       |
             """,
             errored=True,
             error__contains=[
-                "On the choices sheet the choice list name"
-                " 'option b' occurs more than once."
+                "The name column for the 'list' choice list contains these duplicates: 'b'"
             ],  # noqa
         )
 
-    def test_duplicate_choice_list_with_setting(self):
+    def test_duplicate_choices_with_allow_choice_duplicates_setting(self):
         md = """
-            | survey  |                 |          |       |
-            |         | type            | name     | label |
-            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1    |
-            | choices |                 |          |       |
-            |         | list name       | name     | label  |
-            |         | list            | option a | a      |
-            |         | list            | option b | b      |
-            |         | list            | option b | c      |
-            | settings |                |          |        |
-            |          | id_string    | allow_choice_duplicates   |
-            |          | Duplicates   | Yes                       |
+            | survey  |                 |          |          |
+            |         | type            | name     | label    |
+            |         | select_one list | S1       | s1       |
+            | choices |                 |          |          |
+            |         | list name       | name     | label    |
+            |         | list            | a        | option a |
+            |         | list            | b        | option b |
+            |         | list            | b        | option c |
+            | settings |                |          |          |
+            |          | id_string      | allow_choice_duplicates   |
+            |          | Duplicates     | Yes                       |
             """
 
         expected = """
     <select1 ref="/pyxform_autotestname/S1">
       <label>s1</label>
       <item>
-        <label>a</label>
-        <value>option a</value>
+        <label>option a</label>
+        <value>a</value>
       </item>
       <item>
-        <label>b</label>
-        <value>option b</value>
+        <label>option b</label>
+        <value>b</value>
       </item>
       <item>
-        <label>c</label>
-        <value>option b</value>
+        <label>option c</label>
+        <value>b</value>
       </item>
     </select1>
 """
-        self.assertPyxformXform(md=md, xml__contains=[expected], run_odk_validate=True)
+        self.assertPyxformXform(md=md, xml__contains=[expected])
 
     def test_choice_list_without_duplicates_is_successful(self):
         md = """
@@ -145,4 +161,4 @@ def test_choice_list_without_duplicates_is_successful(self):
       </item>
     </select1>
 """
-        self.assertPyxformXform(md=md, xml__contains=[expected], run_odk_validate=True)
+        self.assertPyxformXform(md=md, xml__contains=[expected])
diff --git a/pyxform/xls2json.py b/pyxform/xls2json.py
index fca449ee6..c39b54a9f 100644
--- a/pyxform/xls2json.py
+++ b/pyxform/xls2json.py
@@ -500,34 +500,28 @@ def workbook_to_json(
         list_name_choices = [option.get("name") for option in options]
         if len(list_name_choices) != len(set(list_name_choices)):
             duplicate_setting = settings.get("allow_choice_duplicates")
-            if not duplicate_setting:
-                raise PyXFormError(
-                    "There does not seem to be"
-                    " a `allow_choice_duplicates`"
-                    " column header defined in your settings sheet."
-                    " You must have set `allow_choice_duplicates`"
-                    " setting in your settings sheet"
-                    " to have duplicate choice list names"
-                    " in your choices sheet"
-                )  # noqa
             for k, v in Counter(list_name_choices).items():
                 if v > 1:
-                    if duplicate_setting and duplicate_setting.capitalize() != "Yes":
-                        result = [
+                    if not duplicate_setting or duplicate_setting.capitalize() != "Yes":
+                        choice_duplicates = [
                             item
                             for item, count in Counter(list_name_choices).items()
                             if count > 1
                         ]
-                        choice_duplicates = " ".join(result)
 
                         if choice_duplicates:
                             raise PyXFormError(
-                                "On the choices sheet the choice list name"
-                                " '{}' occurs more than once."
-                                " You must have set `allow_choice_duplicates`"
-                                " setting in your settings sheet"
-                                " for this to be a valid measure".format(
-                                    choice_duplicates
+                                "The name column for the '{}' choice list contains these duplicates: {}. Duplicate names "
+                                "will be impossible to identify in analysis unless a previous value in a cascading "
+                                "select differentiates them. If this is intentional, you can set the "
+                                "allow_choice_duplicates setting to 'yes'. Read more: https://xlsform.org/choice-names.".format(
+                                    list_name,
+                                    ", ".join(
+                                        [
+                                            "'{}'".format(dupe)
+                                            for dupe in choice_duplicates
+                                        ]
+                                    ),
                                 )
                             )  # noqa