diff --git a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
index 0c58ed5573..c35231052e 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
@@ -2176,9 +2176,15 @@ config_requires(ConfigArgs *c) {
 	}
 	i = verbs_to_mask(argc, argv, requires_ops, &requires);
 	if ( i ) {
-		snprintf( c->msg, sizeof( c->msg ), "<%s> unknown feature", c->argv[0] );
-		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_ANY, "%s: %s %s\n",
-			c->log, c->msg, c->argv[i]);
+		if (strcasecmp( c->argv[ i ], "none" ) == 0 ) {
+			snprintf( c->msg, sizeof( c->msg ), "<%s> \"none\" (#%d) must be listed first", c->argv[0], i - 1 );
+			Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_ANY, "%s: %s\n",
+				c->log, c->msg, 0);
+		} else {
+			snprintf( c->msg, sizeof( c->msg ), "<%s> unknown feature #%d", c->argv[0], i - 1 );
+			Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_ANY, "%s: %s \"%s\"\n",
+				c->log, c->msg, c->argv[i]);
+		}
 		return(1);
 	}
 	c->be->be_requires = requires;