diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/find_explicit.yml b/changelogs/fragments/find_explicit.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..797062e083a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/find_explicit.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+    - The find module is now more specific about the reasons it skips candidate files.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/find.py b/lib/ansible/modules/find.py
index 184df5a98de..33648cd84f6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/find.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/find.py
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ import re
 import stat
 import time
 
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text, to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
 
 
@@ -422,7 +423,10 @@ def main():
     looked = 0
     for npath in params['paths']:
         npath = os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(npath))
-        if os.path.isdir(npath):
+        try:
+            if not os.path.isdir(npath):
+                raise Exception("'%s' is not a directory" % to_native(npath))
+
             for root, dirs, files in os.walk(npath, followlinks=params['follow']):
                 looked = looked + len(files) + len(dirs)
                 for fsobj in (files + dirs):
@@ -437,8 +441,8 @@ def main():
 
                     try:
                         st = os.lstat(fsname)
-                    except Exception:
-                        msg += "%s was skipped as it does not seem to be a valid file or it cannot be accessed\n" % fsname
+                    except (IOError, OSError) as e:
+                        msg += "Skipped entry '%s' due to this access issue: %s\n" % (fsname, to_text(e))
                         continue
 
                     r = {'path': fsname}
@@ -474,8 +478,10 @@ def main():
 
                 if not params['recurse']:
                     break
-        else:
-            msg += "%s was skipped as it does not seem to be a valid directory or it cannot be accessed\n" % npath
+        except Exception as e:
+            warn = "Skipped '%s' path due to this access issue: %s\n" % (npath, to_text(e))
+            module.warn(warn)
+            msg += warn
 
     matched = len(filelist)
     module.exit_json(files=filelist, changed=False, msg=msg, matched=matched, examined=looked)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/find/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/find/tasks/main.yml
index cc718e92db2..82d5daab26d 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/find/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/find/tasks/main.yml
@@ -193,3 +193,17 @@
 - assert:
       that:
           - no_match_line_boundaries.matched == 0
+
+- block:
+    - set_fact:
+        mypath: /idontexist{{lookup('pipe', 'mktemp')}}
+
+    - find:
+        paths: '{{mypath}}'
+        patterns: '*'
+      register: failed_path
+
+    - assert:
+        that:
+            - failed_path.files == []
+            - failed_path.msg.startswith("Skipped '{{mypath}}' path due to this access issue")