diff --git a/lib/commands/publish.js b/lib/commands/publish.js
index ad538668b63a3..b8209374925fe 100644
--- a/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -104,11 +104,15 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
       const resolved = npa.resolve(manifest.name, manifest.version)
       const registry = npmFetch.pickRegistry(resolved, opts)
       const creds = this.npm.config.getCredentialsByURI(registry)
+      const outputRegistry = replaceInfo(registry)
       if (!creds.token && !creds.username) {
-        throw Object.assign(new Error('This command requires you to be logged in.'), {
-          code: 'ENEEDAUTH',
-        })
+        throw Object.assign(
+          new Error(`This command requires you to be logged in to ${outputRegistry}`), {
+            code: 'ENEEDAUTH',
+          }
+        )
       }
+      log.notice('', `Publishing to ${outputRegistry}`)
       await otplease(opts, opts => libpub(manifest, tarballData, opts))
     }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/publish.js b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
index 1178cd6ee1edf..2a591fd4c7534 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -341,8 +341,10 @@ t.test('can publish a tarball', async t => {
 
 t.test('should check auth for default registry', async t => {
   t.plan(2)
-  const Publish = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/publish.js')
   const npm = mockNpm()
+  const registry = npm.config.get('registry')
+  const errorMessage = `This command requires you to be logged in to ${registry}`
+  const Publish = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/publish.js')
   npm.config.getCredentialsByURI = uri => {
     t.same(uri, npm.config.get('registry'), 'gets credentials for expected registry')
     return {}
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ t.test('should check auth for default registry', async t => {
 
   await t.rejects(
     publish.exec([]),
-    { message: 'This command requires you to be logged in.', code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
+    { message: errorMessage, code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
     'throws when not logged in'
   )
 })
@@ -359,6 +361,7 @@ t.test('should check auth for default registry', async t => {
 t.test('should check auth for configured registry', async t => {
   t.plan(2)
   const registry = 'https://some.registry'
+  const errorMessage = 'This command requires you to be logged in to https://some.registry'
   const Publish = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/publish.js')
   const npm = mockNpm({
     flatOptions: { registry },
@@ -371,7 +374,7 @@ t.test('should check auth for configured registry', async t => {
 
   await t.rejects(
     publish.exec([]),
-    { message: 'This command requires you to be logged in.', code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
+    { message: errorMessage, code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
     'throws when not logged in'
   )
 })
@@ -379,6 +382,7 @@ t.test('should check auth for configured registry', async t => {
 t.test('should check auth for scope specific registry', async t => {
   t.plan(2)
   const registry = 'https://some.registry'
+  const errorMessage = 'This command requires you to be logged in to https://some.registry'
   const testDir = t.testdir({
     'package.json': JSON.stringify(
       {
@@ -402,7 +406,7 @@ t.test('should check auth for scope specific registry', async t => {
 
   await t.rejects(
     publish.exec([testDir]),
-    { message: 'This command requires you to be logged in.', code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
+    { message: errorMessage, code: 'ENEEDAUTH' },
     'throws when not logged in'
   )
 })
@@ -735,7 +739,7 @@ t.test('private workspaces', async t => {
   })
 
   t.test('unexpected error', async t => {
-    t.plan(1)
+    t.plan(2)
 
     const Publish = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/publish.js', {
       ...mocks,
@@ -749,7 +753,9 @@ t.test('private workspaces', async t => {
         },
       },
       'proc-log': {
-        notice () {},
+        notice (__, msg) {
+          t.match(msg, 'Publishing to https://registry.npmjs.org/')
+        },
         verbose () {},
       },
     })