diff --git a/server/etcdmain/config_test.go b/server/etcdmain/config_test.go
index b9058d33739..857053751bf 100644
--- a/server/etcdmain/config_test.go
+++ b/server/etcdmain/config_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -665,14 +666,14 @@ func TestConfigFileDeprecatedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	testCases := []struct {
-		name             string
-		configFileYAML   configStruct
-		expectedWarnings map[string]string
+		name           string
+		configFileYAML configStruct
+		expectedFlags  map[string]struct{}
 	}{
 		{
-			name:             "no deprecated options",
-			configFileYAML:   configStruct{},
-			expectedWarnings: map[string]string{},
+			name:           "no deprecated options",
+			configFileYAML: configStruct{},
+			expectedFlags:  map[string]struct{}{},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "deprecated experimental options",
@@ -681,10 +682,10 @@ func TestConfigFileDeprecatedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 				ExperimentalCompactHashCheckTime:        2 * time.Minute,
 				ExperimentalWarningUnaryRequestDuration: time.Second,
 			},
-			expectedWarnings: map[string]string{
-				"experimental-compact-hash-check-enabled":     "--experimental-compact-hash-check-enabled is deprecated in 3.6 and will be decommissioned in 3.7. Use '--feature-gates=CompactHashCheck=true' instead.",
-				"experimental-compact-hash-check-time":        "--experimental-compact-hash-check-time is deprecated in 3.6 and will be decommissioned in 3.7. Use '--compact-hash-check-time' instead.",
-				"experimental-warning-unary-request-duration": "--experimental-warning-unary-request-duration is deprecated, and will be decommissioned in v3.7. Use --warning-unary-request-duration instead.",
+			expectedFlags: map[string]struct{}{
+				"experimental-compact-hash-check-enabled":     {},
+				"experimental-compact-hash-check-time":        {},
+				"experimental-warning-unary-request-duration": {},
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -693,15 +694,16 @@ func TestConfigFileDeprecatedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 				SnapshotCount: 10000,
 				MaxSnapFiles:  5,
 			},
-			expectedWarnings: map[string]string{
-				"snapshot-count": "--snapshot-count is deprecated in 3.6 and will be decommissioned in 3.7.",
-				"max-snapshots":  "--max-snapshots is deprecated in 3.6 and will be decommissioned in 3.7.",
+			expectedFlags: map[string]struct{}{
+				"snapshot-count": {},
+				"max-snapshots":  {},
 			},
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create config file
 			b, err := yaml.Marshal(&tc.configFileYAML)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
@@ -710,32 +712,37 @@ func TestConfigFileDeprecatedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 			tmpfile := mustCreateCfgFile(t, b)
 			defer os.Remove(tmpfile.Name())
 
+			// Parse config
 			cfg := newConfig()
 			err = cfg.parse([]string{fmt.Sprintf("--config-file=%s", tmpfile.Name())})
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			// Check for unexpected warnings
+			// Check which flags were set and marked as deprecated
+			foundFlags := make(map[string]struct{})
 			for flagName := range cfg.ec.FlagsExplicitlySet {
-				if msg, ok := deprecatedFlags[flagName]; ok {
-					expectedMsg, shouldWarn := tc.expectedWarnings[flagName]
-					if !shouldWarn {
-						t.Errorf("unexpected deprecated flag warning for %q", flagName)
-						continue
-					}
-					if msg != expectedMsg {
-						t.Errorf("warning message mismatch for %q:\ngot:  %q\nwant: %q", flagName, msg, expectedMsg)
-					}
+				if _, ok := deprecatedFlags[flagName]; ok {
+					foundFlags[flagName] = struct{}{}
 				}
 			}
 
-			// Check for missing warnings
-			for flagName, expectedMsg := range tc.expectedWarnings {
-				if msg, ok := deprecatedFlags[flagName]; !ok || msg != expectedMsg {
-					t.Errorf("missing or incorrect warning for %q:\ngot:  %q\nwant: %q", flagName, msg, expectedMsg)
-				}
+			// Compare sets of flags
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(foundFlags, tc.expectedFlags) {
+				t.Errorf("deprecated flags mismatch:\ngot: %v\nwant: %v",
+					mapToSortedSlice(foundFlags),
+					mapToSortedSlice(tc.expectedFlags))
 			}
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// Helper function to convert map keys to sorted slice for better error messages
+func mapToSortedSlice(m map[string]struct{}) []string {
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(m))
+	for k := range m {
+		result = append(result, k)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(result)
+	return result
+}