diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/frontier/validation.py b/eth/vm/forks/frontier/validation.py
index ce2597054a..f14ba2f3e9 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/frontier/validation.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/frontier/validation.py
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ def validate_frontier_transaction(state: StateAPI,
     if sender_balance < total_cost:
         raise ValidationError("Sender account balance cannot afford txn")
 
-    if state.get_nonce(transaction.sender) != transaction.nonce:
-        raise ValidationError("Invalid transaction nonce")
+    sender_nonce = state.get_nonce(transaction.sender)
+    if sender_nonce != transaction.nonce:
+        raise ValidationError(
+            f"Invalid transaction nonce: Expected {sender_nonce}, but got {transaction.nonce}"
+        )
 
 
 def validate_frontier_transaction_against_header(_vm: VirtualMachineAPI,
diff --git a/newsfragments/1936.internal.rst b/newsfragments/1936.internal.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee473c225d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/1936.internal.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Improve the error when transaction nonce is invalid: include expected and actual.