diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
index 1cf7edeb70ac2..3bb60565fa7c5 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ export class DispatcherConnection {
       return;
     }
     if (method === '__abort__') {
-      await this._activeProgressControllers.get(`call@${params.id}`)?.abort(new AbortError(undefined, { cause: params.reason }));
+      await this._activeProgressControllers.get(`call@${params.id}`)?.abort(new AbortError(params.reason));
       return;
     }
     if (!dispatcher) {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
index 44de2e8249066..20ae2660de8f9 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
  */
 
 import yaml from 'yaml';
-import { assertionAbortedMessage } from '@isomorphic/abortSignal';
 import { parseAriaSnapshotUnsafe } from '@isomorphic/ariaSnapshot';
 import { isInvalidSelectorError } from '@isomorphic/selectorParser';
 import { ManualPromise } from '@isomorphic/manualPromise';
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ import { makeWaitForNextTask } from '@utils/task';
 import { createGuid } from '@utils/crypto';
 import { BrowserContext } from './browserContext';
 import * as dom from './dom';
-import { TimeoutError, AbortError, isTargetClosedError } from './errors';
+import { TimeoutError, isTargetClosedError } from './errors';
 import { prepareFilesForUpload } from './fileUploadUtils';
 import { FrameSelectors } from './frameSelectors';
 import { helper } from './helper';
@@ -1545,8 +1544,6 @@ export class Frame extends SdkObject<FrameEventMap> {
         progress.log(e.message);
       if (e instanceof TimeoutError)
         details.timedOut = true;
-      if (e instanceof AbortError)
-        details.customErrorMessage = assertionAbortedMessage(e.cause);
       throw new ExpectError(details);
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
index 8e97ce83aa083..78d3298257238 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
@@ -62,14 +62,16 @@ export class ProgressController {
     });
   }
 
-
   async abort(error: Error) {
+    const logMessage = `operation was aborted: ${error.message}`;
     if (this._state === 'running') {
+      this.metadata.log.push(logMessage);
       (error as any)[kAbortErrorSymbol] = true;
       this._state = { error };
       this._forceAbortPromise.reject(error);
       this._controller.abort(error);
     } else if (this._state === 'before') {
+      this.metadata.log.push(logMessage);
       (error as any)[kAbortErrorSymbol] = true;
       this._pendingAbortError = error;
     }
diff --git a/tests/page/expect-timeout.spec.ts b/tests/page/expect-timeout.spec.ts
index 6615cbbc46a89..6753716a1c25b 100644
--- a/tests/page/expect-timeout.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/expect-timeout.spec.ts
@@ -133,11 +133,12 @@ test('should fail like a timeout when the signal is aborted mid-assertion', asyn
 
 Locator: locator('span')
 Expected: visible
-Error: The assertion was aborted: stop it
+Error: element(s) not found
 
 Call log:
   - Expect "toBeVisible" with timeout 5000ms
-  - waiting for locator('span')`);
+  - waiting for locator('span')
+  - operation was aborted: stop it`);
 });
 
 test('should fail like a timeout when toHaveText is aborted mid-assertion', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/tests/page/page-click.spec.ts b/tests/page/page-click.spec.ts
index 8649e738ac1e8..30416d9dd3a5b 100644
--- a/tests/page/page-click.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/page-click.spec.ts
@@ -1368,11 +1368,11 @@ it('should abort via signal', async ({ page }) => {
   // Give the action time to start and emit call log entries before aborting.
   await page.waitForTimeout(500);
 
-  const reason = new Error('Aborted by user');
+  const reason = new Error('foo bar');
   controller.abort(reason);
   const error = await promise;
-  expect(error.message).toContain('The operation was aborted');
-  expect(error.message).toContain(`Call log:`);
+  expect(error.message).toContain('locator.click: foo bar');
+  expect(error.message).toMatch(/Call log:[\s\S]*operation was aborted: foo bar/);
   expect(error.name).toBe('AbortError');
   expect(error.cause).toBe(reason);
 });
@@ -1384,6 +1384,7 @@ it('should throw an Error when aborted in-flight with a string reason', async ({
   controller.abort('aborted by user');
   const error = await promise.catch(e => e);
   expect(error).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+  expect(error.message).toContain('locator.click: aborted by user');
   expect(error.name).toBe('AbortError');
   expect(error.cause).toBe('aborted by user');
 });