diff --git a/cmd/flux/bootstrap.go b/cmd/flux/bootstrap.go
index fd53ddc0..ddfc2ff2 100644
--- a/cmd/flux/bootstrap.go
+++ b/cmd/flux/bootstrap.go
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func generateDeployKey(ctx context.Context, kubeClient client.Client, url *url.U
 	return string(pair.PublicKey), nil
 }
 
-func checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx context.Context, kubeClient client.Client, namespace string, path string) bool {
+func checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx context.Context, kubeClient client.Client, namespace string, path string) (string, bool) {
 	namespacedName := types.NamespacedName{
 		Name:      namespace,
 		Namespace: namespace,
@@ -275,11 +275,11 @@ func checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx context.Context, kubeClient client.Client,
 	var fluxSystemKustomization kustomizev1.Kustomization
 	err := kubeClient.Get(ctx, namespacedName, &fluxSystemKustomization)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return "", false
 	}
 	if fluxSystemKustomization.Spec.Path == path {
-		return false
+		return "", false
 	}
 
-	return true
+	return fluxSystemKustomization.Spec.Path, true
 }
diff --git a/cmd/flux/bootstrap_github.go b/cmd/flux/bootstrap_github.go
index 2a12991d..5c4158c2 100644
--- a/cmd/flux/bootstrap_github.go
+++ b/cmd/flux/bootstrap_github.go
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ func bootstrapGitHubCmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	bootstrapPathDiffers := checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx, kubeClient, namespace, filepath.ToSlash(ghPath.String()))
+	usedPath, bootstrapPathDiffers := checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx, kubeClient, namespace, filepath.ToSlash(ghPath.String()))
 
 	if bootstrapPathDiffers {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cluster already bootstrapped to a different path")
+		return fmt.Errorf("cluster already bootstrapped to a %v path", usedPath)
 	}
 
 	repository, err := git.NewRepository(ghRepository, ghOwner, ghHostname, ghToken, "flux", ghOwner+"@users.noreply.github.com")
diff --git a/cmd/flux/bootstrap_gitlab.go b/cmd/flux/bootstrap_gitlab.go
index 63677466..9bffa71a 100644
--- a/cmd/flux/bootstrap_gitlab.go
+++ b/cmd/flux/bootstrap_gitlab.go
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ func bootstrapGitLabCmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	bootstrapPathDiffers := checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx, kubeClient, namespace, filepath.ToSlash(glPath.String()))
+	usedPath, bootstrapPathDiffers := checkIfBootstrapPathDiffers(ctx, kubeClient, namespace, filepath.ToSlash(glPath.String()))
 
 	if bootstrapPathDiffers {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cluster already bootstrapped to a different path")
+		return fmt.Errorf("cluster already bootstrapped to a %v path", usedPath)
 	}
 
 	repository, err := git.NewRepository(glRepository, glOwner, glHostname, glToken, "flux", glOwner+"@users.noreply.gitlab.com")