diff --git a/craft_application/services/project.py b/craft_application/services/project.py
index 8104166f0..e39f7c262 100644
--- a/craft_application/services/project.py
+++ b/craft_application/services/project.py
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def render_for(
                 if not getattr(project_model, field, None):
                     missing_fields.add(field)
             if missing_fields:
-                missing = ", ".join(sorted(missing_fields))
+                missing = ", ".join(repr(field) for field in sorted(missing_fields))
                 raise errors.CraftValidationError(
                     f"'adopt-info' not set and required fields are missing: {missing}"
                 )
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/test_project.py b/tests/unit/services/test_project.py
index 7dabf4542..a6075033e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/services/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/unit/services/test_project.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """Unit tests for the ProjectService."""
 
+import dataclasses
 import pathlib
 import textwrap
 from typing import cast
@@ -390,3 +391,23 @@ def test_get_already_rendered(project_service: ProjectService):
     rendered = project_service.render_once()
 
     assert project_service.get() == rendered
+
+
+def test_mandatory_adoptable_fields(
+    app_metadata, project_service: ProjectService, fake_project_file: pathlib.Path
+):
+    """Verify if mandatory adoptable fields are defined if not using adopt-info."""
+    project_service._app = dataclasses.replace(
+        app_metadata, mandatory_adoptable_fields=["version", "license"]
+    )
+
+    project_yaml = fake_project_file.read_text()
+    fake_project_file.write_text(project_yaml.replace("license:", "# licence:"))
+
+    with pytest.raises(errors.CraftValidationError) as exc_info:
+        _ = project_service.render_once()
+
+    assert (
+        str(exc_info.value)
+        == "'adopt-info' not set and required fields are missing: 'license'"
+    )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_application.py b/tests/unit/test_application.py
index 35022890e..8c15a5aeb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_application.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_application.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 """Unit tests for craft-application app classes."""
 
 import argparse
-import dataclasses
 import importlib
 import importlib.metadata
 import logging
@@ -1142,25 +1141,6 @@ def test_register_plugins_default(mocker, app_metadata, fake_services):
     assert reg.call_count == 0
 
 
-def test_mandatory_adoptable_fields(
-    tmp_path, app_metadata, fake_services, fake_project_file
-):
-    """Verify if mandatory adoptable fields are defined if not using adopt-info."""
-    app_metadata = dataclasses.replace(
-        app_metadata, mandatory_adoptable_fields=["license"]
-    )
-
-    app = application.Application(app_metadata, fake_services)
-
-    with pytest.raises(errors.CraftValidationError) as exc_info:
-        _ = app.get_project(build_for=get_host_architecture())
-
-    assert (
-        str(exc_info.value)
-        == "Required field 'license' is not set and 'adopt-info' not used."
-    )
-
-
 @pytest.fixture
 def grammar_project_mini(tmp_path):
     """A project that builds on amd64 to riscv64 and s390x."""