diff --git a/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html b/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
index 4b3d788ae..553449600 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@
       {% elif not recipients.has_recipient_columns %}
 
         <h1 class='banner-title' data-module="track-error" data-error-type="Missing recipient columns" data-error-label="{{ upload_id }}">
-          Your file needs {{ required_recipient_columns | formatted_list(
+          Your file needs {{ (
+            recipients.missing_column_headers
+            if template.template_type == 'letter' else required_recipient_columns
+          ) | formatted_list(
             prefix='a column called',
             prefix_plural='columns called'
           ) }}
diff --git a/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py b/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
index 33363bd60..7b9cb45ec 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
@@ -1883,7 +1883,7 @@ def test_check_messages_column_error_doesnt_show_optional_columns(
     )
 
     assert normalize_spaces(page.select_one('.banner-dangerous').text) == (
-        'Your file needs columns called ‘address line 1’, ‘address line 2’ and ‘postcode’ '
+        'Your file needs a column called ‘postcode’ '
         'Right now it has columns called ‘address_line_1’, ‘address_line_2’ and ‘foo’. '
         'Skip to file contents'
     )