diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 48a1ba0a..fe2d7e7b 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -4,15 +4,11 @@
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 
 ifndef RISCV
-$(error RISCV is unset. You must set RISCV yourself, or through the Chipyard auto-generated env file)
+$(error RISCV is unset. Did you source the Chipyard auto-generated env file (which activates the default conda environment)?)
 else
 $(info Running with RISCV=$(RISCV))
 endif
 
-ifndef CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV
-$(warning No conda environment detected. Did you source the Chipyard auto-generated env file?)
-endif
-
 #########################################################################################
 # specify user-interface variables
 #########################################################################################