diff --git a/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorMySQLSetupCheck.php b/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorMySQLSetupCheck.php
index a4048cbc33..5a0d50e425 100644
--- a/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorMySQLSetupCheck.php
+++ b/src/applications/config/check/PhabricatorMySQLSetupCheck.php
@@ -50,30 +50,47 @@ final class PhabricatorMySQLSetupCheck extends PhabricatorSetupCheck {
     if (!in_array('STRICT_ALL_TABLES', $modes)) {
       $summary = pht(
         'MySQL is not in strict mode (on host "%s"), but using strict mode '.
-        'is strongly encouraged.',
+        'is recommended.',
         $host_name);
 
       $message = pht(
-        "On database host \"%s\", the global %s is not set to %s. ".
-        "It is strongly encouraged that you enable this mode when running ".
-        "Phabricator.\n\n".
-        "By default MySQL will silently ignore some types of errors, which ".
-        "can cause data loss and raise security concerns. Enabling strict ".
-        "mode makes MySQL raise an explicit error instead, and prevents this ".
-        "entire class of problems from doing any damage.\n\n".
-        "You can find more information about this mode (and how to configure ".
-        "it) in the MySQL manual. Usually, it is sufficient to add this to ".
-        "your %s file (in the %s section) and then restart %s:\n\n".
-        "%s\n".
-        "(Note that if you run other applications against the same database, ".
-        "they may not work in strict mode. Be careful about enabling it in ".
-        "these cases.)",
+        'On database host "%s", the global "sql_mode" setting does not '.
+        'include the "STRICT_ALL_TABLES" mode. Enabling this mode is '.
+        'recommended to generally improve how MySQL handles certain errors.'.
+        "\n\n".
+        'Without this mode enabled, MySQL will silently ignore some error '.
+        'conditions, including inserts which attempt to store more data in '.
+        'a column than actually fits. This behavior is usually undesirable '.
+        'and can lead to data corruption (by truncating multibyte characters '.
+        'in the middle), data loss (by discarding the data which does not '.
+        'fit into the column), or security concerns (for example, by '.
+        'truncating keys or credentials).'.
+        "\n\n".
+        'Phabricator is developed and tested in "STRICT_ALL_TABLES" mode so '.
+        'you should normally never encounter these situations, but may run '.
+        'into them if you interact with the database directly, run '.
+        'third-party code, develop extensions, or just encounter a bug in '.
+        'the software.'.
+        "\n\n".
+        'Enabling "STRICT_ALL_TABLES" makes MySQL raise an explicit error '.
+        'if one of these unusual situations does occur. This is a safer '.
+        'behavior and prevents these situations from causing secret, subtle, '.
+        'and potentially serious issues later on.'.
+        "\n\n".
+        'You can find more information about this mode (and how to configure '.
+        'it) in the MySQL manual. Usually, it is sufficient to add this to '.
+        'your "my.cnf" file (in the "[mysqld]" section) and then '.
+        'restart "mysqld":'.
+        "\n\n".
+        '%s'.
+        "\n".
+        'Note that if you run other applications against the same database, '.
+        'they may not work in strict mode.'.
+        "\n\n".
+        'If you can not or do not want to enable "STRICT_ALL_TABLES", you '.
+        'can safely ignore this warning. Phabricator will work correctly '.
+        'with this mode enabled or disabled.',
         $host_name,
-        phutil_tag('tt', array(), 'sql_mode'),
-        phutil_tag('tt', array(), 'STRICT_ALL_TABLES'),
-        phutil_tag('tt', array(), 'my.cnf'),
-        phutil_tag('tt', array(), '[mysqld]'),
-        phutil_tag('tt', array(), 'mysqld'),
         phutil_tag('pre', array(), 'sql_mode=STRICT_ALL_TABLES'));
 
       $this->newIssue('mysql.mode')