diff --git a/pkg/chunked/storage_linux.go b/pkg/chunked/storage_linux.go
index 1632948ce4..d18ab299ba 100644
--- a/pkg/chunked/storage_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/chunked/storage_linux.go
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ func (d whiteoutHandler) Mknod(path string, mode uint32, dev int) error {
 
 func checkChownErr(err error, name string, uid, gid int) error {
 	if errors.Is(err, syscall.EINVAL) {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "potentially insufficient UIDs or GIDs available in user namespace (requested %d:%d for %s): Check /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid", uid, gid, name)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "potentially insufficient UIDs or GIDs available in user namespace (requested %d:%d for %s): Check /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid if configured locally", uid, gid, name)
 	}
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/idtools/idtools.go b/pkg/idtools/idtools.go
index 83bc8c34ff..1a02c35e9b 100644
--- a/pkg/idtools/idtools.go
+++ b/pkg/idtools/idtools.go
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ func parseSubidFile(path, username string) (ranges, error) {
 
 func checkChownErr(err error, name string, uid, gid int) error {
 	if e, ok := err.(*os.PathError); ok && e.Err == syscall.EINVAL {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "potentially insufficient UIDs or GIDs available in user namespace (requested %d:%d for %s): Check /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid", uid, gid, name)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "potentially insufficient UIDs or GIDs available in user namespace (requested %d:%d for %s): Check /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid if configured locally", uid, gid, name)
 	}
 	return err
 }