diff --git a/tools/libtest/h5tools_test_utils.c b/tools/libtest/h5tools_test_utils.c
index 6f3c0a6bae..32f109b0ca 100644
--- a/tools/libtest/h5tools_test_utils.c
+++ b/tools/libtest/h5tools_test_utils.c
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ test_populate_ros3_fa(void)
 
 #ifndef H5_HAVE_ROS3_VFD
     puts(" -SKIP-");
-    puts("    Read-Only S3 VFD not enabled");
+    puts("    Test is skipped unless HDF5 is configured and built with the Read-Only S3 VFD enabled.");
     fflush(stdout);
     return 0;
 #else
diff --git a/tools/src/h5dump/h5dump.c b/tools/src/h5dump/h5dump.c
index 8f2c406859..63c2102eef 100644
--- a/tools/src/h5dump/h5dump.c
+++ b/tools/src/h5dump/h5dump.c
@@ -1169,7 +1169,8 @@ end_collect:
 
                 vfd_info_g.info = &ros3_fa_g;
 #else
-                error_msg("Read-Only S3 VFD not enabled.\n");
+                error_msg(
+                    "Read-Only S3 VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is configured and built.\n");
                 h5tools_setstatus(EXIT_FAILURE);
                 goto done;
 #endif
@@ -1188,7 +1189,7 @@ end_collect:
 
                 vfd_info_g.info = &hdfs_fa_g;
 #else
-                error_msg("HDFS VFD not enabled.\n");
+                error_msg("HDFS VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is configured and built.\n");
                 h5tools_setstatus(EXIT_FAILURE);
                 goto done;
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/src/h5ls/h5ls.c b/tools/src/h5ls/h5ls.c
index 04c5ff3c02..b3488d5982 100644
--- a/tools/src/h5ls/h5ls.c
+++ b/tools/src/h5ls/h5ls.c
@@ -2858,7 +2858,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
             vfd_info.info = &ros3_fa;
 #else
-            fprintf(rawerrorstream, "Error: Read-Only S3 VFD is not enabled\n\n");
+            fprintf(rawerrorstream, "Error: Read-Only S3 VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is "
+                                    "configured and built.\n\n");
             usage();
             leave(EXIT_FAILURE);
 #endif
@@ -2881,7 +2882,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
             vfd_info.info = &hdfs_fa;
 #else
-            fprintf(rawerrorstream, "Error: The HDFS VFD is not enabled\n\n");
+            fprintf(
+                rawerrorstream,
+                "Error: The HDFS VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is configured and built.\n\n");
             usage();
             leave(EXIT_FAILURE);
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/src/h5stat/h5stat.c b/tools/src/h5stat/h5stat.c
index 15232e419a..a90ef5e5e8 100644
--- a/tools/src/h5stat/h5stat.c
+++ b/tools/src/h5stat/h5stat.c
@@ -947,7 +947,8 @@ parse_command_line(int argc, const char *const *argv, struct handler_t **hand_re
 
                 drivername = drivernames[ROS3_VFD_IDX];
 #else
-                error_msg("Read-Only S3 VFD not enabled.\n");
+                error_msg(
+                    "Read-Only S3 VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is configured and built.\n");
                 goto error;
 #endif
                 break;
@@ -961,7 +962,7 @@ parse_command_line(int argc, const char *const *argv, struct handler_t **hand_re
 
                 drivername = drivernames[HDFS_VFD_IDX];
 #else
-                error_msg("HDFS VFD not enabled.\n");
+                error_msg("HDFS VFD is not available unless enabled when HDF5 is configured and built.\n");
                 goto error;
 #endif
                 break;