diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-version-name b/libexec/rbenv-version-name
index 3769a7cd..90609d7f 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-version-name
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-version-name
@@ -23,6 +23,6 @@ if version_exists "$RBENV_VERSION"; then
 elif version_exists "${RBENV_VERSION#ruby-}"; then
   echo "${RBENV_VERSION#ruby-}"
 else
-  echo "rbenv: version \`$RBENV_VERSION' is not installed" >&2
+  echo "rbenv: version \`$RBENV_VERSION' is not installed (set by $(rbenv-version-origin))" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-which b/libexec/rbenv-which
index 3cf91de7..8019be21 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-which
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-which
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ done
 if [ -x "$RBENV_COMMAND_PATH" ]; then
   echo "$RBENV_COMMAND_PATH"
 elif ! [ -d "${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/${RBENV_VERSION}" ]; then
-  echo "rbenv: version \`$RBENV_VERSION' is not installed" >&2
+  echo "rbenv: version \`$RBENV_VERSION' is not installed (set by $(rbenv-version-origin))" >&2
   exit 1
 else
   echo "rbenv: $RBENV_COMMAND: command not found" >&2
diff --git a/test/exec.bats b/test/exec.bats
index 889eb897..ff1e248d 100644
--- a/test/exec.bats
+++ b/test/exec.bats
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ create_executable() {
 @test "fails with invalid version" {
   export RBENV_VERSION="2.0"
   run rbenv-exec ruby -v
-  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`2.0' is not installed"
+  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`2.0' is not installed (set by RBENV_VERSION environment variable)"
 }
 
 @test "completes with names of executables" {
diff --git a/test/version-name.bats b/test/version-name.bats
index d6438b5b..8d61ac55 100644
--- a/test/version-name.bats
+++ b/test/version-name.bats
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ setup() {
 
 @test "missing version" {
   RBENV_VERSION=1.2 run rbenv-version-name
-  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`1.2' is not installed"
+  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`1.2' is not installed (set by RBENV_VERSION environment variable)"
 }
 
 @test "version with prefix in name" {
diff --git a/test/which.bats b/test/which.bats
index 3f68a31a..bf10effe 100644
--- a/test/which.bats
+++ b/test/which.bats
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ create_executable() {
 @test "version not installed" {
   create_executable "2.0" "rspec"
   RBENV_VERSION=1.9 run rbenv-which rspec
-  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`1.9' is not installed"
+  assert_failure "rbenv: version \`1.9' is not installed (set by RBENV_VERSION environment variable)"
 }
 
 @test "no executable found" {