diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index ff12668..c78cd6f 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ var numel = require( '@stdlib/ndarray-base-numel' );
 var getDType = require( '@stdlib/ndarray-base-dtype' );
 var getShape = require( '@stdlib/ndarray-base-shape' );
 var getOrder = require( '@stdlib/ndarray-base-order' );
-var format = require( '@stdlib/string-format' );
+var format = require( '@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg' );
 
 
 // MAIN //
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ function zerosLike( x ) {
 	}
 	buf = buffer( dt, len );
 	if ( buf === null ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. First argument must have a recognized data type. Value: `%s`.', dt ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '0jj5L', dt ) );
 	}
 	return new x.constructor( dt, buf, sh, st, strides2offset( sh, st ), ord );
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9b000f5..41d619b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     "@stdlib/ndarray-base-shape": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/ndarray-base-shape2strides": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/ndarray-base-strides2offset": "^0.2.2",
-    "@stdlib/string-format": "^0.2.2",
+    "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/types": "^0.4.3",
     "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2"
   },