diff --git a/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx b/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
index 16cd19bf8b..b504e761a7 100644
--- a/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
@@ -3295,12 +3295,12 @@ bool HandleCreateLinkCommand(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
     if (sourceIsDirectory) {
       if (cmp0205 == cmPolicies::NEW) {
         needToTry = false;
-      } else if (cmp0205 == cmPolicies::WARN) {
+      } else if (cmp0205 == cmPolicies::WARN && arguments.CopyOnError) {
         status.GetMakefile().IssueMessage(
           MessageType::AUTHOR_WARNING,
           cmStrCat("Path\n  ", fileName,
-                   "\nis directory. Hardlinks creation is not supported for "
-                   "directories.\n",
+                   "\nis a directory. Hard link creation is not supported "
+                   "for directories.\n",
                    cmPolicies::GetPolicyWarning(cmPolicies::CMP0205)));
       }
     }
@@ -3320,13 +3320,13 @@ bool HandleCreateLinkCommand(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
     }
   }
 
-  if (arguments.CopyOnError && cmp0205 == cmPolicies::WARN &&
+  if (cmp0205 == cmPolicies::WARN && arguments.CopyOnError &&
       sourceIsDirectory) {
     status.GetMakefile().IssueMessage(
       MessageType::AUTHOR_WARNING,
       cmStrCat("Path\n  ", fileName,
-               "\nis directory. It will be copied recursively when NEW policy "
-               "behavior applies for CMP0205.\n",
+               "\nis a directory. It will be copied "
+               "recursively when CMP0205 is set to NEW.\n",
                cmPolicies::GetPolicyWarning(cmPolicies::CMP0205)));
   }
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-HardLink-WARN-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-HardLink-WARN-stderr.txt
index 52873f3e5e..3cd83deb30 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-HardLink-WARN-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-HardLink-WARN-stderr.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     [^
 ]*[\\|/]file-CREATE_LINK[\\|/]CMP0205
 
-  is directory.  Hardlinks creation is not supported for directories.
+  is a directory.  Hard link creation is not supported for directories.
 
   Policy CMP0205 is not set: file\(CREATE_LINK\) with COPY_ON_ERROR copies
   directory content\.  Run "cmake --help-policy CMP0205" for policy details\.
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ CMake Warning \(dev\) at [^
     [^
 ]*[\\|/]file-CREATE_LINK[\\|/]CMP0205
 
-  is directory.  It will be copied recursively when NEW policy behavior
-  applies for CMP0205\.
+  is a directory.  It will be copied recursively when CMP0205 is set to NEW\.
 
   Policy CMP0205 is not set: file\(CREATE_LINK\) with COPY_ON_ERROR copies
   directory content\.  Run "cmake --help-policy CMP0205" for policy details\.
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-SymLink-WARN-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-SymLink-WARN-stderr.txt
index 0399f1fd8e..baa9f8d60a 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-SymLink-WARN-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/file-CREATE_LINK/CMP0205-SymLink-WARN-stderr.txt
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
     [^
 ]*[\\|/]file-CREATE_LINK[\\|/]CMP0205
 
-  is directory.  It will be copied recursively when NEW policy behavior
-  applies for CMP0205\.
+  is a directory.  It will be copied recursively when CMP0205 is set to NEW\.
 
   Policy CMP0205 is not set: file\(CREATE_LINK\) with COPY_ON_ERROR copies
   directory content\.  Run "cmake --help-policy CMP0205" for policy details\.