diff --git a/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/MqttKafkaEventFormatter.java b/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/MqttKafkaEventFormatter.java
index 8c66ebbe31..14b9081af9 100644
--- a/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/MqttKafkaEventFormatter.java
+++ b/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/MqttKafkaEventFormatter.java
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 
 public final class MqttKafkaEventFormatter implements EventFormatterSpi
 {
-    private static final String NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC_FORMAT = "NON COMPACT SESSIONS TOPIC - %s";
-
     private final EventFW eventRO = new EventFW();
     private final MqttKafkaEventExFW mqttKafkaEventExRO = new MqttKafkaEventExFW();
 
@@ -49,7 +47,7 @@ public String format(
         case NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC:
         {
             MqttKafkaResetMqttConnectionExFW ex = extension.nonCompactSessionsTopic();
-            result = String.format(NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC_FORMAT, asString(ex.reason()));
+            result = String.format("%s", asString(ex.reason()));
             break;
         }
         }
diff --git a/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/stream/MqttKafkaSessionFactory.java b/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/stream/MqttKafkaSessionFactory.java
index 7ab987ddba..a68ec1c94e 100644
--- a/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/stream/MqttKafkaSessionFactory.java
+++ b/runtime/binding-mqtt-kafka/src/main/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/binding/mqtt/kafka/internal/stream/MqttKafkaSessionFactory.java
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public class MqttKafkaSessionFactory implements MqttKafkaStreamFactory
     public static final int MQTT_NOT_AUTHORIZED = 0x87;
     public static final int MQTT_IMPLEMENTATION_SPECIFIC_ERROR = 0x83;
     public static final String MQTT_INVALID_SESSION_TIMEOUT_REASON = "Invalid session expiry interval";
-    public static final String16FW MQTT_NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC = new String16FW("Sessions Kafka topic in non-compacted");
+    public static final String16FW MQTT_NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC = new String16FW("The Sessions Kafka topic is non-compacted");
     private static final KafkaConfigFW CONFIG_COMPACT_CLEANUP_POLICY = new KafkaConfigFW.Builder()
         .wrap(new UnsafeBuffer(new byte[25]), 0, 25)
         .name("cleanup.policy")
diff --git a/specs/binding-mqtt-kafka.spec/src/main/scripts/io/aklivity/zilla/specs/binding/mqtt/kafka/config/proxy.log.event.yaml b/specs/binding-mqtt-kafka.spec/src/main/scripts/io/aklivity/zilla/specs/binding/mqtt/kafka/config/proxy.log.event.yaml
index f6c94af5cc..4d2bef19db 100644
--- a/specs/binding-mqtt-kafka.spec/src/main/scripts/io/aklivity/zilla/specs/binding/mqtt/kafka/config/proxy.log.event.yaml
+++ b/specs/binding-mqtt-kafka.spec/src/main/scripts/io/aklivity/zilla/specs/binding/mqtt/kafka/config/proxy.log.event.yaml
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ telemetry:
         events:
           - qname: test.kafka0
             id: binding.mqtt.kafka.non.compact.sessions.topic
-            message: NON COMPACT SESSIONS TOPIC - Sessions Kafka topic in non-compacted
+            name: BINDING_MQTT_KAFKA_NON_COMPACT_SESSIONS_TOPIC
+            message: The Sessions Kafka topic is non-compacted
 bindings:
   mqtt0:
     type: mqtt-kafka