diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ContextHelper.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ContextHelper.java
index d78e7c031..0aa250654 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ContextHelper.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ContextHelper.java
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class ContextHelper {
     public static RouterContext getContext(String contextId) {
         List contexts = RouterContext.listContexts();
         if ( (contexts == null) || (contexts.size() <= 0) ) 
-            throw new IllegalStateException("No contexts?  wtf");
+            throw new IllegalStateException("No contexts. This is usually because the router is either starting up or shutting down.");
         if ( (contextId == null) || (contextId.trim().length() <= 0) )
             return (RouterContext)contexts.get(0);
         for (int i = 0; i < contexts.size(); i++) {
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ class ContextHelper {
         // not found, so just give them the first we can find
         return (RouterContext)contexts.get(0);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}