diff --git a/include/protocol.h b/include/protocol.h
index 5ffbdf7c9..4dc9b7525 100644
--- a/include/protocol.h
+++ b/include/protocol.h
@@ -131,11 +131,15 @@ public:
 	/* The maximum length of a username. */
 	size_t MaxUser = 0;
 
-
 	/* Retrieves the next free UID or SID */
 	virtual Anope::string UID_Retrieve();
 	virtual Anope::string SID_Retrieve();
 
+	/** Retrieves advice on what might be the problem when a link fails.
+	 * @param advice The location to store the advice.
+	 */
+	virtual void GetLinkAdvice(std::vector<Anope::string> &advice) { }
+
 	/** Extracts a timestamp from a string. */
 	virtual time_t ExtractTimestamp(const Anope::string &str);
 
diff --git a/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp b/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
index 22e89c58e..b1b168401 100644
--- a/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
+++ b/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ public:
 		MaxLine = 0;
 	}
 
+	void GetLinkAdvice(std::vector<Anope::string> &advice) override
+	{
+		advice.push_back("You do not have the account, hidechans, services, and spanningtree modules loaded on InspIRCd.");
+	}
+
 	size_t GetMaxListFor(Channel *c, ChannelMode *cm) override
 	{
 		ListLimits *limits = maxlist.Get(c);
diff --git a/src/messages.cpp b/src/messages.cpp
index 5668bcc38..d13ed5104 100644
--- a/src/messages.cpp
+++ b/src/messages.cpp
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ void Capab::Run(MessageSource &source, const std::vector<Anope::string> &params,
 
 void Error::Run(MessageSource &source, const std::vector<Anope::string> &params, const Anope::map<Anope::string> &tags)
 {
-	Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << "ERROR: " << params[0];
-	Anope::QuitReason = "Received ERROR from uplink: " + params[0];
+	Anope::QuitReason = "Received an error from the uplink: " + params.back();
 	Anope::Quitting = true;
+	Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << Anope::QuitReason;
 }
 
 Ignore::Ignore(Module *creator, const Anope::string &mname)
diff --git a/src/uplink.cpp b/src/uplink.cpp
index c8bfc0b3b..f0873f73b 100644
--- a/src/uplink.cpp
+++ b/src/uplink.cpp
@@ -114,11 +114,20 @@ UplinkSocket::~UplinkSocket()
 	if (!error && !Anope::Quitting)
 	{
 		this->OnError("");
-		Module *protocol = ModuleManager::FindFirstOf(PROTOCOL);
-		if (protocol && !protocol->name.find("inspircd"))
-			Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << "Check that you have loaded m_spanningtree.so on InspIRCd, and are not connecting Anope to an SSL enabled port without configuring SSL in Anope (or vice versa)";
-		else
-			Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << "Check that you are not connecting Anope to an SSL enabled port without configuring SSL in Anope (or vice versa)";
+
+		std::vector<Anope::string> advice = {
+			"You are connecting Anope to an SSL-only port without configuring SSL (or vice versa).",
+		};
+		if (IRCD)
+		{
+			advice.push_back(Anope::Format("You are using the wrong protocol module (currently %s for %s).",
+				IRCD->owner->name.c_str(), IRCD->GetProtocolName().c_str()));
+			IRCD->GetLinkAdvice(advice);
+		}
+
+		Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << "Potential causes include:";
+		for (const auto &line : advice)
+			Log(LOG_TERMINAL) << "* " << line;
 	}
 
 	if (IRCD && Servers::GetUplink() && Servers::GetUplink()->IsSynced())