diff --git a/sortix/kernel.cpp b/sortix/kernel.cpp
index 9570847a..c4fc7075 100644
--- a/sortix/kernel.cpp
+++ b/sortix/kernel.cpp
@@ -478,7 +478,9 @@ static void BootThread(void* /*user*/)
 
 	// Install the initrd into our fresh RAM filesystem.
 	if ( !InitRD::ExtractFromPhysicalInto(initrd, initrdsize, droot) )
-		Panic("Unable to extract initrd into RAM root filesystem.");
+		Panic("Unable to extract initrd into RAM root filesystem. You machine "
+		      "needs more memory to boot using this initrd, as a rule of thumb "
+		      "you need twice as much memory as the size of the initrd device.");
 
 	// We no longer need the initrd, so free its resources.
 	InitRD::Delete();