diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/FileSystem.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/FileSystem.java
index 97e1933f3e4c50..abaa6b1b9d7f08 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/FileSystem.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/FileSystem.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public DigestHashFunction getDigestFunction() {
    */
   protected static final class NotASymlinkException extends IOException {
     public NotASymlinkException(Path path) {
-      super(path.toString());
+      super(path + " is not a symlink");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/SymlinkAwareFileSystemTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/SymlinkAwareFileSystemTest.java
index a7bce7bb20c8cd..c1726bad04e87e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/SymlinkAwareFileSystemTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs/SymlinkAwareFileSystemTest.java
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ public void testReadSymbolicLink() throws IOException {
       xFile.readSymbolicLink(); // not a link
       fail();
     } catch (NotASymlinkException e) {
-      assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo(xFile.toString());
+      assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo(xFile.toString() + " is not a symlink");
     }
 
     try {