diff --git a/django/conf/project_template/manage.py b/django/conf/project_template/manage.py
index 008aeeb72b..5e78ea979e 100755
--- a/django/conf/project_template/manage.py
+++ b/django/conf/project_template/manage.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ try:
     import settings # Assumed to be in the same directory.
 except ImportError:
     import sys
-    sys.stderr.write("Error: Can't find the file 'settings.py' in the directory containing %r. It appears you've customized things.\nYou'll have to run django-admin.py, passing it your settings module.\n" % __file__)
+    sys.stderr.write("Error: Can't find the file 'settings.py' in the directory containing %r. It appears you've customized things.\nYou'll have to run django-admin.py, passing it your settings module.\n(If the file settings.py does indeed exist, it's causing an ImportError somehow.)\n" % __file__)
     sys.exit(1)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":