diff --git a/src/libutil/configuration.cc b/src/libutil/configuration.cc
index dc9d91f63..7a0ed22ea 100644
--- a/src/libutil/configuration.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/configuration.cc
@@ -500,10 +500,10 @@ bool ExperimentalFeatureSettings::isEnabled(const ExperimentalFeature & feature)
     return std::find(f.begin(), f.end(), feature) != f.end();
 }
 
-void ExperimentalFeatureSettings::require(const ExperimentalFeature & feature) const
+void ExperimentalFeatureSettings::require(const ExperimentalFeature & feature, std::string reason) const
 {
     if (!isEnabled(feature))
-        throw MissingExperimentalFeature(feature);
+        throw MissingExperimentalFeature(feature, std::move(reason));
 }
 
 bool ExperimentalFeatureSettings::isEnabled(const std::optional<ExperimentalFeature> & feature) const
diff --git a/src/libutil/experimental-features.cc b/src/libutil/experimental-features.cc
index 0edd5a585..11b8ceadf 100644
--- a/src/libutil/experimental-features.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/experimental-features.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "nix/util/experimental-features.hh"
 #include "nix/util/fmt.hh"
+#include "nix/util/strings.hh"
 #include "nix/util/util.hh"
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
@@ -376,10 +377,11 @@ std::set<ExperimentalFeature> parseFeatures(const StringSet & rawFeatures)
     return res;
 }
 
-MissingExperimentalFeature::MissingExperimentalFeature(ExperimentalFeature feature)
+MissingExperimentalFeature::MissingExperimentalFeature(ExperimentalFeature feature, std::string reason)
     : Error(
-          "experimental Nix feature '%1%' is disabled; add '--extra-experimental-features %1%' to enable it",
-          showExperimentalFeature(feature))
+          "experimental Nix feature '%1%' is disabled%2%; add '--extra-experimental-features %1%' to enable it",
+          showExperimentalFeature(feature),
+          Uncolored(optionalBracket(" (", reason, ")")))
     , missingFeature(feature)
 {
 }
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/configuration.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/configuration.hh
index 65391721c..c8d7b7f24 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/configuration.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/configuration.hh
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ struct ExperimentalFeatureSettings : Config
      * Require an experimental feature be enabled, throwing an error if it is
      * not.
      */
-    void require(const ExperimentalFeature &) const;
+    void require(const ExperimentalFeature &, std::string reason = "") const;
 
     /**
      * `std::nullopt` pointer means no feature, which means there is nothing that could be
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/experimental-features.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/experimental-features.hh
index 73c4eeca4..6ffc0e0c0 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/experimental-features.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/experimental-features.hh
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public:
      */
     ExperimentalFeature missingFeature;
 
-    MissingExperimentalFeature(ExperimentalFeature missingFeature);
+    MissingExperimentalFeature(ExperimentalFeature missingFeature, std::string reason = "");
 };
 
 /**