diff --git a/dvc/lock.py b/dvc/lock.py
index dc6c52b23..777afa031 100644
--- a/dvc/lock.py
+++ b/dvc/lock.py
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ from dvc.utils.compat import is_py3
 
 DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 5
 
+ERROR_MESSAGE = (
+    "cannot perform the cmd since DVC is busy and locked. You can delete "
+    ".dvc/lock to fix it, but first please make sure there's no other dvc "
+    "process ongoing by running: {blue}`ps xaf | grep dvc`{nc}."
+).format(blue=colorama.Back.BLUE, nc=colorama.Back.RESET)
+
 
 class LockError(DvcException):
     """Thrown when unable to acquire the lock for dvc repo."""
@@ -72,14 +78,7 @@ if is_py3:
             try:
                 super(Lock, self).lock(timedelta(seconds=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT))
             except flufl.lock.TimeOutError:
-                raise LockError(
-                    "cannot perform the cmd since DVC is busy and "
-                    "locked. You can delete .dvc/lock to fix it, but first "
-                    "please make sure there's no other dvc process ongoing "
-                    "by running: {blue}`ps xaf | grep dvc`{nc}.".format(
-                        blue=colorama.Back.BLUE, nc=colorama.Back.RESET
-                    )
-                )
+                raise LockError(ERROR_MESSAGE)
 
         def _set_claimfile(self, pid=None):
             super(Lock, self)._set_claimfile(pid)
@@ -124,14 +123,7 @@ else:
             try:
                 self._lock = zc.lockfile.LockFile(self.lockfile)
             except zc.lockfile.LockError:
-                raise LockError(
-                    "cannot perform the cmd since DVC is busy and "
-                    "locked. You can delete .dvc/lock to fix it, but first "
-                    "please make sure there's no other dvc process ongoing "
-                    "by running: {blue}`ps xaf | grep dvc`{nc}.".format(
-                        blue=colorama.Back.BLUE, nc=colorama.Back.RESET
-                    )
-                )
+                raise LockError(ERROR_MESSAGE)
 
         def lock(self):
             try: