diff --git a/share/tools/create_manpage_completions.py b/share/tools/create_manpage_completions.py
index 407f84286..3e007a0a9 100755
--- a/share/tools/create_manpage_completions.py
+++ b/share/tools/create_manpage_completions.py
@@ -1100,7 +1100,11 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             cleanup_autogenerated_completions_in_directory(cleanup_dir)
 
     if not args.file_paths:
-        print("No paths specified")
+        if args.manpath:
+            print("No paths specified and I can't make sense of your MANPATH")
+            print("Please either give paths or set $MANPATH and try again")
+        else:
+            print("No paths specified")
         sys.exit(0)
 
     if not args.stdout and not args.directory: