diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index 2d3fb24db30..ddcf2598398 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def key_for_hostname(hostname):
         raise errors.AnsibleError('ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR is not a directory.')
 
     if stat.S_IMODE(os.stat(key_path).st_mode) != int(C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR_PERMS, 8):
-        raise errors.AnsibleError('Incorrect permissions on ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR (%s)' % (C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR,))
+        raise errors.AnsibleError('Incorrect permissions on the private key directory. Use `chmod 0%o %s` to correct this issue, and make sure any of the keys files contained within that directory are set to 0%o' % (int(C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR_PERMS, 8), C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_DIR, int(C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_FILE_PERMS, 8)))
 
     key_path = os.path.join(key_path, hostname)
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def key_for_hostname(hostname):
         return key
     else:
         if stat.S_IMODE(os.stat(key_path).st_mode) != int(C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_FILE_PERMS, 8):
-            raise errors.AnsibleError('Incorrect permissions on ACCELERATE_KEYS_FILE (%s)' % (key_path,))
+            raise errors.AnsibleError('Incorrect permissions on the key file for this host. Use `chmod 0%o %s` to correct this issue.' % (int(C.ACCELERATE_KEYS_FILE_PERMS, 8), key_path))
         fh = open(key_path)
         key = AesKey.Read(fh.read())
         fh.close()