diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Machine.java b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Machine.java
index f4035b3ef..251f4996c 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Machine.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Machine.java
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ void eval(List<Instruction> code) throws ChicoryException {
                 }
             }
         } catch (ArithmeticException e) {
-            if (e.getMessage().toLowerCase().equals("/ by zero")) {
+            if (e.getMessage().equalsIgnoreCase("/ by zero")) {
                 throw new WASMRuntimeException("integer divide by zero");
             }
             throw new WASMRuntimeException(e.getMessage());