diff --git a/core/includes/install.core.inc b/core/includes/install.core.inc
index 3968682..0b64b6b 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.core.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.core.inc
@@ -854,7 +854,9 @@ function install_verify_requirements(&$install_state) {
     if ($install_state['interactive']) {
       drupal_set_title(st('Requirements problem'));
       $status_report = theme('status_report', array('requirements' => $requirements));
-      $status_report .= st('Check the messages and <a href="!url">try again</a>.', array('!url' => check_url(drupal_requirements_url($severity))));
+      $status_report .= st('Resolve the listed issues to <a href="!url">proceed with the installation</a>.', array(
+        '!url' => request_uri(),
+      ));
       return $status_report;
     }
     else {
@@ -1762,9 +1764,14 @@ function install_check_requirements($install_state) {
     if (!drupal_verify_install_file($default_settings_file, FILE_EXIST|FILE_READABLE)) {
       $requirements['default settings file exists'] = array(
         'title'       => st('Default settings file'),
-        'value'       => st('The default settings file does not exist.'),
+        'value'       => st('The default settings file does not exist at %default_settings_file_path.', array(
+          '%default_settings_file_path' => $default_settings_file,
+        )),
         'severity'    => REQUIREMENT_ERROR,
-        'description' => st('The @drupal installer requires that the %default-file file not be modified in any way from the original download.', array('@drupal' => drupal_install_profile_distribution_name(), '%default-file' => $default_settings_file)),
+        'description' => st('You must create a settings.php file to proceed with the installation. Copy the template settings file %default_settings_file_path to %settings_file_path. Additional information is available in the file ./core/INSTALL.txt.', array(
+          '%settings_file_path' => $settings_file,
+          '%default_settings_file_path' => $default_settings_file,
+        )),
       );
     }
     // Otherwise, if settings.php does not exist yet, we can try to copy
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
index 1f191ac..ad96d93 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -374,7 +374,9 @@ function system_requirements($phase) {
       elseif ($phase == 'install') {
         // For the installer UI, we need different wording. 'value' will
         // be treated as version, so provide none there.
-        $description = $error . $t('An automated attempt to create this directory failed, possibly due to a permissions problem. To proceed with the installation, either create the directory and modify its permissions manually or ensure that the installer has the permissions to create it automatically. For more information, see INSTALL.txt or the <a href="@handbook_url">online handbook</a>.', array('@handbook_url' => 'http://drupal.org/server-permissions'));
+        $description = $error . $t('An automated attempt to create this directory failed, possibly due to a permissions problem. To proceed with the installation, either create the directory and modify its permissions manually, or ensure that the installer has the permissions to create it automatically. Additional information is available in the file ./core/INSTALL.txt and in the <a href="@handbook_url">online handbook page about server permissions issues</a>.', array(
+          '@handbook_url' => 'http://drupal.org/server-permissions',
+        ));
         $requirements['file system']['value'] = '';
       }
       if (!empty($description)) {