diff --git a/internal/resolution/variablesources/bundle_deployment_test.go b/internal/resolution/variablesources/bundle_deployment_test.go
index 1010d0743..e6ee81b84 100644
--- a/internal/resolution/variablesources/bundle_deployment_test.go
+++ b/internal/resolution/variablesources/bundle_deployment_test.go
@@ -131,6 +131,6 @@ var _ = Describe("BundleDeploymentVariableSource", func() {
 
 		bdVariableSource := variablesources.NewBundleDeploymentVariableSource(bundleDeployments, testBundleList, &MockRequiredPackageSource{})
 		_, err := bdVariableSource.GetVariables(context.Background())
-		Expect(err.Error()).To(Equal("bundleImage \"quay.io/operatorhubio/prometheus@sha256:nonexistent\" not found"))
+		Expect(err.Error()).To(Equal(`bundle with image "quay.io/operatorhubio/prometheus@sha256:nonexistent" not found in available catalogs but is currently installed via BundleDeployment "prometheus"`))
 	})
 })
diff --git a/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package.go b/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package.go
index 1f1f3792e..adfb2af19 100644
--- a/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package.go
+++ b/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func MakeInstalledPackageVariables(
 		// find corresponding bundle for the installed content
 		resultSet := catalogfilter.Filter(allBundles, catalogfilter.WithBundleImage(bundleImage))
 		if len(resultSet) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("bundleImage %q not found", bundleImage)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("bundle with image %q not found in available catalogs but is currently installed via BundleDeployment %q", bundleImage, bundleDeployment.Name)
 		}
 
 		sort.SliceStable(resultSet, func(i, j int) bool {
diff --git a/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package_test.go b/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package_test.go
index 15937681d..4fd4f7a60 100644
--- a/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package_test.go
+++ b/internal/resolution/variablesources/installed_package_test.go
@@ -321,6 +321,6 @@ func TestMakeInstalledPackageVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		)
 		assert.Nil(t, installedPackages)
-		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, `bundleImage "registry.io/repo/test-package@v9.0.0" not found`)
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, `bundle with image "registry.io/repo/test-package@v9.0.0" not found in available catalogs but is currently installed via BundleDeployment "bd-0"`)
 	})
 }