diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/list/notifications.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/list/notifications.pug
index 6cf66dcf7c..9b8e804b0e 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/list/notifications.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/list/notifications.pug
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ include ../../_mixins/reconfirm_affiliation
 						|
 						| #{translate('resending_confirmation_email')}…
 					div(ng-if="!userEmail.confirmationInflight && userEmail.error" aria-live="polite")
-						| #{translate('generic_something_went_wrong')}
+						span(ng-if="userEmail.errorMessage") {{ userEmail.errorMessage }}
+						span(ng-if="!userEmail.errorMessage") #{translate('generic_something_went_wrong')}
 
 	ui.list-unstyled(ng-controller="UserAffiliationsReconfirmController")
 		li.notification-entry(
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/main/project-list/notifications-controller.js b/services/web/frontend/js/main/project-list/notifications-controller.js
index 1f1912c0f2..2969a3e3fd 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/main/project-list/notifications-controller.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/main/project-list/notifications-controller.js
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ App.controller('EmailNotificationController', function(
   $scope.resendConfirmationEmail = function(userEmail) {
     userEmail.confirmationInflight = true
     userEmail.error = false
+    userEmail.errorMessage = null
     UserAffiliationsDataService.resendConfirmationEmail(userEmail.email)
       .then(() => {
         userEmail.hide = true
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ App.controller('EmailNotificationController', function(
       })
       .catch(error => {
         userEmail.error = true
+        userEmail.errorMessage = error.data.message
         console.error(error)
         $scope.$emit('project-list:notifications-received')
       })
diff --git a/services/web/locales/en.json b/services/web/locales/en.json
index ecae47aac0..30ca75804b 100644
--- a/services/web/locales/en.json
+++ b/services/web/locales/en.json
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@
   "institution_account_tried_to_add_not_affiliated": "This email is <b>already associated</b> with your account but not affiliated with this institution.",
   "institution_account_tried_to_add_affiliated_with_another_institution": "This email is <b>already associated</b> with your account but affiliated with another institution.",
   "institution_acct_successfully_linked": "Your <b>__appName__</b> account was successfully linked to your <b>__institutionName__</b> institutional account.",
+  "institution_account_tried_to_confirm_saml": "This email cannot be confirmed. Please remove the email from your account and try adding it again.",
   "institution_email_new_to_app": "Your <b>__institutionName__</b> email (<b>__email__</b>) is new to __appName__.",
   "institutional": "Institutional",
   "doing_this_allow_log_in_through_institution": "Doing this will allow you to log in to <b>__appName__</b> through your institution portal.",