diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_merge_request_widget/components/checks/constants.js b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_merge_request_widget/components/checks/constants.js
index 28ca8ba9d8a4acbf8599f1c082beb55f2b5ecc0b..7f8f75e1dcbec66bf1efcef6a1561ef13fb641f8 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_merge_request_widget/components/checks/constants.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_merge_request_widget/components/checks/constants.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export const FAILURE_REASONS = {
   need_rebase: __('Merge request must be rebased, because a fast-forward merge is not possible.'),
   not_approved: __('All required approvals must be given.'),
   policies_denied: __('Denied licenses must be removed or approved.'),
-  merge_request_blocked: __('Merge request dependencies have been merged.'),
+  merge_request_blocked: __('Merge request dependencies must be merged.'),
   status_checks_must_pass: __('Status checks must pass.'),
   jira_association_missing: __('Either the title or description must reference a Jira issue.'),
 };
diff --git a/app/graphql/types/merge_requests/detailed_merge_status_enum.rb b/app/graphql/types/merge_requests/detailed_merge_status_enum.rb
index 2d32bbe9148e5d499c85abe1facf854185b5d441..ee64760c086bb9902be1cd345251c32231ee351e 100644
--- a/app/graphql/types/merge_requests/detailed_merge_status_enum.rb
+++ b/app/graphql/types/merge_requests/detailed_merge_status_enum.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class DetailedMergeStatusEnum < BaseEnum
             description: 'Merge request must be approved before merging.'
       value 'BLOCKED_STATUS',
             value: :merge_request_blocked,
-            description: 'Merge request dependencies have been merged.'
+            description: 'Merge request dependencies must be merged.'
       value 'POLICIES_DENIED',
             value: :policies_denied,
             description: 'There are denied policies for the merge request.'
diff --git a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
index 7cba4f4c5b84ebb4d56187316684e13eea6f4dda..8334c18c561088a79cfa35d5a0afd8ae6d15c43e 100644
--- a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
+++ b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
@@ -31279,7 +31279,7 @@ Detailed representation of whether a GitLab merge request can be merged.
 
 | Value | Description |
 | ----- | ----------- |
-| <a id="detailedmergestatusblocked_status"></a>`BLOCKED_STATUS` | Merge request dependencies have been merged. |
+| <a id="detailedmergestatusblocked_status"></a>`BLOCKED_STATUS` | Merge request dependencies must be merged. |
 | <a id="detailedmergestatusbroken_status"></a>`BROKEN_STATUS` | Can not merge the source into the target branch, potential conflict. |
 | <a id="detailedmergestatuschecking"></a>`CHECKING` | Currently checking for mergeability. |
 | <a id="detailedmergestatusci_must_pass"></a>`CI_MUST_PASS` | Pipeline must succeed before merging. |
diff --git a/ee/spec/features/merge_request/merge_request_widget_blocking_mrs_spec.rb b/ee/spec/features/merge_request/merge_request_widget_blocking_mrs_spec.rb
index 631de04bbaa73e364ab58e8e7f0802ed57998c7e..8c7230a04e60470ee5b7bf2215a9db05f3f8478d 100644
--- a/ee/spec/features/merge_request/merge_request_widget_blocking_mrs_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/features/merge_request/merge_request_widget_blocking_mrs_spec.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   it 'disables merge button when blocking merge request is open' do
     click_button 'Expand merge checks'
 
-    expect(page).to have_content('Merge request dependencies have been merged.')
+    expect(page).to have_content('Merge request dependencies must be merged.')
   end
 
   context 'merged blocking merge request' do
diff --git a/locale/gitlab.pot b/locale/gitlab.pot
index ba50eaa0e2d971896ed7732f0398d3c91539af41..9b4d7d7109dcee6e52807b7d101988f6125b5bc3 100644
--- a/locale/gitlab.pot
+++ b/locale/gitlab.pot
@@ -30787,7 +30787,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Merge request dependencies"
 msgstr ""
 
-msgid "Merge request dependencies have been merged."
+msgid "Merge request dependencies must be merged."
 msgstr ""
 
 msgid "Merge request events"