diff --git a/config-application-package/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackage.java b/config-application-package/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackage.java
index 73ddd85201ce..01fd0b7fe3ab 100644
--- a/config-application-package/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackage.java
+++ b/config-application-package/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackage.java
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
 import static com.yahoo.text.Lowercase.toLowerCase;
+import static com.yahoo.yolean.Exceptions.uncheck;
 
 
 /**
@@ -644,9 +645,15 @@ private void preprocess(File appDir, File dir, Zone zone) throws IOException {
     private void validateServicesFile() throws IOException {
         File servicesFile = getServicesFile();
         if ( ! servicesFile.exists())
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(SERVICES + " does not exist in application package");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(SERVICES + " does not exist in application package. " +
+                                               "There are " + filesInApplicationPackage() + " files in the directory");
         if (IOUtils.readFile(servicesFile).isEmpty())
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(SERVICES + " in application package is empty");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(SERVICES + " in application package is empty. " +
+                                               "There are " + filesInApplicationPackage() + " files in the directory");
+    }
+
+    private long filesInApplicationPackage() {
+        return uncheck(() -> Files.list(appDir.toPath()).count());
     }
 
     private void copyUserDefsIntoApplication() {
diff --git a/config-application-package/src/test/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackageTest.java b/config-application-package/src/test/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackageTest.java
index c93e1a167262..316b222059f2 100644
--- a/config-application-package/src/test/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackageTest.java
+++ b/config-application-package/src/test/java/com/yahoo/config/model/application/provider/FilesApplicationPackageTest.java
@@ -129,7 +129,9 @@ public void failOnMissingServicesXml() throws IOException {
         FilesApplicationPackage app = FilesApplicationPackage.fromFile(appDir);
         var exception = assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class,
                                      () -> app.preprocess(new Zone(Environment.dev, RegionName.defaultName()), new BaseDeployLogger()));
-        assertEquals("services.xml does not exist in application package", exception.getMessage());
+        String message = exception.getMessage();
+        assertTrue(message.startsWith("services.xml does not exist in application package"));
+        assertTrue(message.contains("There are 4 files in the directory"));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/configserver/src/test/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/http/v2/ApplicationApiHandlerTest.java b/configserver/src/test/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/http/v2/ApplicationApiHandlerTest.java
index 25e4e004a61e..c77bd34def24 100644
--- a/configserver/src/test/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/http/v2/ApplicationApiHandlerTest.java
+++ b/configserver/src/test/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/http/v2/ApplicationApiHandlerTest.java
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void testBadZipDeployment() throws Exception {
                        """
                        {
                          "error-code": "BAD_REQUEST",
-                         "message": "Error preprocessing application package for test.default, session 2: services.xml does not exist in application package"
+                         "message": "Error preprocessing application package for test.default, session 2: services.xml does not exist in application package. There are 1 files in the directory"
                        }
                        """);
     }