diff --git a/src/common/node_conf.c b/src/common/node_conf.c
index 529293122640fd98520c96206cb6a8115deb6d70..c4df0f8402cb30c0f2488e4f52a0f6528c9d18d4 100644
--- a/src/common/node_conf.c
+++ b/src/common/node_conf.c
@@ -237,7 +237,8 @@ static int _build_single_nodeline_info(slurm_conf_node_t *node_ptr,
 #endif	/* HAVE_FRONT_END */
 	if ((port_count != alias_count) && (port_count > 1)) {
 		error("Port count must equal that of NodeName "
-		      "records or there must be no more than one");
+		      "records or there must be no more than one (%u != %u)",
+		      port_count, alias_count);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/common/read_config.c b/src/common/read_config.c
index d3f59fce8826cdd7b4a4bcc01e0cf908d9e6b6de..0e1e4da1ffe33984d789630fee5df2d5c72b2c1f 100644
--- a/src/common/read_config.c
+++ b/src/common/read_config.c
@@ -1502,7 +1502,8 @@ static int _register_conf_node_aliases(slurm_conf_node_t *node_ptr)
 #endif	/* HAVE_FRONT_END */
 	if ((port_count != alias_count) && (port_count > 1)) {
 		error("Port count must equal that of NodeName "
-		      "records or there must be no more than one");
+		      "records or there must be no more than one (%u != %u)",
+		      port_count, alias_count);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}