diff --git a/wscript_configure b/wscript_configure
index c807d210741..c182cefc9f6 100644
--- a/wscript_configure
+++ b/wscript_configure
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ else:
 	else:
 		conf.env.TOMCATHOME = _join(conf.env.DATADIR,'tomcat6')
 		conf.check_message_2("%s (assumed presence of Tomcat there)"%conf.env.TOMCATHOME,"GREEN")
-if not _exists(conf.env.TOMCATHOME): conf.fatal("Tomcat directory %s not found.  Cannot proceed."%conf.env.TOMCATHOME)
+if not _exists(conf.env.TOMCATHOME): conf.fatal("Tomcat directory %s not found.  Either install Tomcat using ./waf installrpmdeps or ./waf installdebdeps, or manually install Tomcat to a directory in your system and set the environment variable TOMCAT_HOME to point to it."%conf.env.TOMCATHOME)
 
 conf.env.AGENTPATH = _join(conf.env.PACKAGE,"agent")
 conf.env.CPPATH = _join(conf.env.PACKAGE,"console-proxy")