diff --git a/cmd/podman/inspect/inspect.go b/cmd/podman/inspect/inspect.go
index 22b2c90554..575080163d 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/inspect/inspect.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/inspect/inspect.go
@@ -185,16 +185,16 @@ func (i *inspector) inspect(namesOrIDs []string) error {
 		err = rpt.Execute(data)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("printing inspect output: %w", err))
+		errs = append(errs, err)
 	}
 
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		if len(errs) > 1 {
 			for _, err := range errs[1:] {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error inspecting object: %v\n", err)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v\n", err)
 			}
 		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("inspecting object: %w", errs[0])
+		return errs[0]
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/test/system/700-play.bats b/test/system/700-play.bats
index 3ae158270a..62bfe24787 100644
--- a/test/system/700-play.bats
+++ b/test/system/700-play.bats
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ EOF
 
     run_podman kube down $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
     run_podman 125 inspect test_pod-test
-    is "$output" ".*Error: inspecting object: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
+    is "$output" ".*Error: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
     run_podman pod rm -a
     run_podman rm -a
 }
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ _EOF
 
     run_podman kube down $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
     run_podman 125 inspect test_pod-test
-    is "$output" ".*Error: inspecting object: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
+    is "$output" ".*Error: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
     run_podman pod rm -a
     run_podman rm -a
 }
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ _EOF
     is "$output" "true"
     run_podman kube down $SERVER/testpod.yaml
     run_podman 125 inspect test_pod-test
-    is "$output" ".*Error: inspecting object: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
+    is "$output" ".*Error: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
 
     run_podman pod rm -a -f
     run_podman rm -a -f -t0