diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index f1f76f8..68f4bdf 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ var isNonNegativeInteger = require( '@stdlib/assert-is-nonnegative-integer' ).is
 var ctors = require( '@stdlib/array-ctors' );
 var gzeros = require( '@stdlib/array-base-zeros' );
 var defaults = require( '@stdlib/array-defaults' );
-var format = require( '@stdlib/string-format' );
+var format = require( '@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg' );
 
 
 // VARIABLES //
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function zeros( length ) {
 	var dtype;
 	var ctor;
 	if ( !isNonNegativeInteger( length ) ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. First argument must be a nonnegative integer. Value: `%s`.', length ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '02Z2d', length ) );
 	}
 	if ( arguments.length > 1 ) {
 		dtype = arguments[ 1 ];
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ function zeros( length ) {
 	}
 	ctor = ctors( dtype );
 	if ( ctor === null ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. Second argument must be a recognized data type. Value: `%s`.', dtype ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '02Z37', dtype ) );
 	}
 	return new ctor( length ); // WARNING: we assume that, apart from 'generic', the constructors for supported array data types are zero-filled by default
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9835fba..f3f2f13 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
     "@stdlib/array-ctors": "^0.3.0",
     "@stdlib/array-defaults": "^0.3.0",
     "@stdlib/assert-is-nonnegative-integer": "^0.2.2",
-    "@stdlib/string-format": "^0.2.2",
+    "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2",
     "@stdlib/types": "^0.4.1",
     "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.2"
   },