diff --git a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
index 058932e025e2..295c3416590c 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
@@ -463,10 +463,6 @@ func dropFalsePtrBool(in *clusterv1.JSONSchemaProps) *clusterv1.JSONSchemaProps
 	return ret
 }
 
-func refString(ref *corev1.ObjectReference) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s/%s", ref.GroupVersionKind().String(), ref.Namespace, ref.Name)
-}
-
 func (r *Reconciler) reconcileExternal(ctx context.Context, clusterClass *clusterv1.ClusterClass, ref *corev1.ObjectReference) error {
 	obj, err := external.Get(ctx, r.Client, ref)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status.go b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status.go
index 212ea101a095..7d7904a3588e 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status.go
@@ -50,9 +50,12 @@ func setRefVersionsUpToDateCondition(_ context.Context, clusterClass *clusterv1.
 	}
 
 	if len(outdatedRefs) > 0 {
-		var msg []string
+		var msg = []string{
+			"The following templateRefs are not using the latest apiVersion:",
+		}
 		for _, outdatedRef := range outdatedRefs {
-			msg = append(msg, fmt.Sprintf("* templateRef %q should be %q", refString(outdatedRef.Outdated), refString(outdatedRef.UpToDate)))
+			msg = append(msg, fmt.Sprintf("* %s %s: current: %s, latest: %s", outdatedRef.Outdated.Kind, outdatedRef.Outdated.Name,
+				outdatedRef.Outdated.GroupVersionKind().Version, outdatedRef.UpToDate.GroupVersionKind().Version))
 		}
 		v1beta1conditions.Set(clusterClass,
 			v1beta1conditions.FalseCondition(
diff --git a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status_test.go b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status_test.go
index 98a34ca1d4ef..b39f102f6f1f 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status_test.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller_status_test.go
@@ -81,10 +81,9 @@ func TestSetRefVersionsUpToDateCondition(t *testing.T) {
 				Type:   clusterv1.ClusterClassRefVersionsUpToDateCondition,
 				Status: metav1.ConditionFalse,
 				Reason: clusterv1.ClusterClassRefVersionsNotUpToDateReason,
-				Message: "* templateRef \"controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2, Kind=KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate default/test-kcp\" should be " +
-					"\"controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io/v99, Kind=KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate default/test-kcp\"\n" +
-					"* templateRef \"infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta2, Kind=DockerMachineTemplate default/test-dmt\" should be " +
-					"\"infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v99, Kind=DockerMachineTemplate default/test-dmt\"",
+				Message: "The following templateRefs are not using the latest apiVersion:\n" +
+					"* KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate test-kcp: current: v1beta2, latest: v99\n" +
+					"* DockerMachineTemplate test-dmt: current: v1beta2, latest: v99",
 			},
 		},
 		{