diff --git a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/address/AssociateIPAddrCmd.java b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/address/AssociateIPAddrCmd.java
index 96174e12377..ae13717e427 100644
--- a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/address/AssociateIPAddrCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/address/AssociateIPAddrCmd.java
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ public class AssociateIPAddrCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCmd {
             }
         }
 
-        throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Unable to figure out zone to assign ip to");
+        throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Unable to figure out zone to assign ip to."
+                + " Please specify either zoneId, or networkId, or vpcId in the call");
     }
 
     public Long getVpcId() {