diff --git a/plugins/ipam/static/main.go b/plugins/ipam/static/main.go
index ed75d1fe2..5179aba10 100644
--- a/plugins/ipam/static/main.go
+++ b/plugins/ipam/static/main.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func LoadIPAMConfig(bytes []byte, envArgs string) (*IPAMConfig, string, error) {
 
 				ip, subnet, err := net.ParseCIDR(ipstr)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, "", err
+					return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("expected CIDR notation, got '%s'", ipstr)
 				}
 
 				addr := Address{
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ func LoadIPAMConfig(bytes []byte, envArgs string) (*IPAMConfig, string, error) {
 	for i := range n.IPAM.Addresses {
 		ip, addr, err := net.ParseCIDR(n.IPAM.Addresses[i].AddressStr)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, "", err
+			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf(
+				"expected CIDR notation, got '%s'", n.IPAM.Addresses[i].AddressStr)
 		}
 		n.IPAM.Addresses[i].Address = *addr
 		n.IPAM.Addresses[i].Address.IP = ip
diff --git a/plugins/ipam/static/static_test.go b/plugins/ipam/static/static_test.go
index 7bd2e522b..55f117b9a 100644
--- a/plugins/ipam/static/static_test.go
+++ b/plugins/ipam/static/static_test.go
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ var _ = Describe("static Operations", func() {
 				return cmdAdd(args)
 			})
 			Expect(err).Should(
-				MatchError(fmt.Sprintf("invalid CIDR address: %s", ipStr)))
+				MatchError(fmt.Sprintf("expected CIDR notation, got '%s'", ipStr)))
 		})
 
 	}