diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip4-config.c b/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip4-config.c
index bdb77783e8..be819b1cac 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip4-config.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip4-config.c
@@ -839,10 +839,11 @@ verify (NMSetting *setting, GSList *all_settings, GError **error)
 
 	if (!strcmp (priv->method, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_MANUAL)) {
 		if (!priv->addresses) {
-			g_set_error_literal (error,
-			                     NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_ERROR,
-			                     NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
-			                     _("property is missing"));
+			g_set_error (error,
+			             NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_ERROR,
+			             NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
+			             _("this property cannot be empty for '%s=%s'"),
+			             NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD, priv->method);
 			g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_ADDRESSES);
 			return FALSE;
 		}
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip6-config.c b/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip6-config.c
index d421d39ce6..d8aa818664 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip6-config.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-setting-ip6-config.c
@@ -820,10 +820,11 @@ verify (NMSetting *setting, GSList *all_settings, GError **error)
 
 	if (!strcmp (priv->method, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_MANUAL)) {
 		if (!priv->addresses) {
-			g_set_error_literal (error,
-			                     NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_ERROR,
-			                     NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
-			                     _("property is missing"));
+			g_set_error (error,
+			             NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_ERROR,
+			             NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
+			             _("this property cannot be empty for '%s=%s'"),
+			             NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD, priv->method);
 			g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_ADDRESSES);
 			return FALSE;
 		}