diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index 33d8392..44eb4a4 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ var ctors = require( '@stdlib/array-typed-ctors' );
 var zeros = require( '@stdlib/array-base-zeros' );
 var bytesPerElement = require( '@stdlib/ndarray-base-bytes-per-element' );
 var defaults = require( '@stdlib/array-defaults' );
-var format = require( '@stdlib/string-format' );
+var format = require( '@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg' );
 
 
 // VARIABLES //
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ function empty( length ) {
 	var nb;
 
 	if ( !isNonNegativeInteger( length ) ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. First argument must be a nonnegative integer. Value: `%s`.', length ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '1Zj2d', length ) );
 	}
 	if ( arguments.length > 1 ) {
 		dtype = arguments[ 1 ];
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function empty( length ) {
 	}
 	nbytes = bytesPerElement( dtype );
 	if ( nbytes === null ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. Second argument must be a supported data type. Value: `%s`.', dtype ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '1ZjEC', dtype ) );
 	}
 	// Resolve typed array constructor:
 	ctor = ctors( dtype );
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 235e155..79091a5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     "@stdlib/assert-is-uint8array": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/buffer-alloc-unsafe": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/ndarray-base-bytes-per-element": "^0.2.2",
-    "@stdlib/string-format": "^0.2.2",
+    "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/types": "^0.4.1",
     "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2"
   },