diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0ecb75446f..e4cd716000 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ distclean: gazeboclean
 # All other targets are handled by PX4_MAKE. Add a rule here to avoid printing an error.
 %:
 	$(if $(filter $(FIRST_ARG),$@), \
-		$(error "$@ cannot be the first argument. Use '$(MAKE) help|list_config_targets' to get a list of all possible [configuration] targets."),@#)
+		$(error "Make target $@ not found. It either does not exist or $@ cannot be the first argument. Use '$(MAKE) help|list_config_targets' to get a list of all possible [configuration] targets."),@#)
 
 # Print a list of non-config targets (based on http://stackoverflow.com/a/26339924/1487069)
 help: