diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 61c22f723a..b68b8b94a3 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -1702,15 +1702,13 @@ static void handle_machine_dumpdtb(MachineState *ms)
     if (!ms->dumpdtb) {
         return;
     }
-    if (!ms->fdt) {
-        /* Silently ignore dumpdtb option if there is nothing to dump */
-        return;
-    }
 #ifdef CONFIG_FDT
     qmp_dumpdtb(ms->dumpdtb, &error_fatal);
     exit(0);
 #else
     error_report("This machine doesn't have an FDT");
+    error_printf("(this machine type definitely doesn't use FDT, and "
+                 "this QEMU doesn't have FDT support compiled in)\n");
     exit(1);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/system/device_tree-stub.c b/system/device_tree-stub.c
index bddda6fa37..428330b0fe 100644
--- a/system/device_tree-stub.c
+++ b/system/device_tree-stub.c
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_FDT
 void qmp_dumpdtb(const char *filename, Error **errp)
 {
-    error_setg(errp, "This machine doesn't have a FDT");
+    ERRP_GUARD();
+
+    error_setg(errp, "This machine doesn't have an FDT");
+    error_append_hint(errp, "(this machine type definitely doesn't use FDT)\n");
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/system/device_tree.c b/system/device_tree.c
index d605ed2a21..aa3fe9516f 100644
--- a/system/device_tree.c
+++ b/system/device_tree.c
@@ -635,11 +635,16 @@ out:
 
 void qmp_dumpdtb(const char *filename, Error **errp)
 {
+    ERRP_GUARD();
+
     g_autoptr(GError) err = NULL;
     uint32_t size;
 
     if (!current_machine->fdt) {
-        error_setg(errp, "This machine doesn't have a FDT");
+        error_setg(errp, "This machine doesn't have an FDT");
+        error_append_hint(errp,
+                          "(Perhaps it doesn't support FDT at all, or perhaps "
+                          "you need to provide an FDT with the -fdt option?)\n");
         return;
     }