diff --git a/src/cython_cmake/cmake/FindCython.cmake b/src/cython_cmake/cmake/FindCython.cmake
index 1e0a446..1212cc8 100644
--- a/src/cython_cmake/cmake/FindCython.cmake
+++ b/src/cython_cmake/cmake/FindCython.cmake
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ if(CYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
   if(NOT ${CYTHON_version_result} EQUAL 0)
     set(_error_msg "Command \"${CYTHON_version_command}\" failed with")
     set(_error_msg "${_error_msg} output:\n${CYTHON_version_error}")
-    message(SEND_ERROR "${_error_msg}")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "${_error_msg}")
   elseif("${CYTHON_version_output}" MATCHES "^[Cc]ython version ([^,]+)")
     set(CYTHON_VERSION "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
   elseif("${CYTHON_version_error}" MATCHES "^[Cc]ython version ([^,]+)")
     set(CYTHON_VERSION "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
   else()
-    message(SEND_ERROR "Invalid Cython version output")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Invalid Cython version output")
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/cython_cmake/cmake/UseCython.cmake b/src/cython_cmake/cmake/UseCython.cmake
index a63ad16..5523156 100644
--- a/src/cython_cmake/cmake/UseCython.cmake
+++ b/src/cython_cmake/cmake/UseCython.cmake
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 #=============================================================================
 
 if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.7")
-  message(SEND_ERROR "CMake 3.7 required for DEPFILE")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "CMake 3.7 required for DEPFILE")
 endif()
 
 function(Cython_compile_pyx)