diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
index 0783271f4734..e16caeaf25a4 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
@@ -10752,11 +10752,10 @@ zpool_do_get(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	} else {
 		/*
-		 * The first arg isn't a pool name,
+		 * The first arg isn't the name of a valid pool.
 		 */
-		fprintf(stderr, gettext("missing pool name.\n"));
-		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-		usage(B_FALSE);
+		fprintf(stderr, gettext("Cannot get properties of %s: "
+		    "no such pool available.\n"), argv[0]);
 		return (1);
 	}