diff --git a/nova/scheduler/chance.py b/nova/scheduler/chance.py
index ae81679e14ba..f4461cee26a8 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/chance.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/chance.py
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ class ChanceScheduler(driver.Scheduler):
         hosts = self.hosts_up(context, topic)
         if not hosts:
             raise driver.NoValidHost(_("Scheduler was unable to locate a host"
-                                       " for this request. Is the compute node"
-                                       " running?"))
+                                       " for this request. Is the appropriate"
+                                       " service running?"))
         return hosts[int(random.random() * len(hosts))]
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/simple.py b/nova/scheduler/simple.py
index 0191ceb3d55c..dd568d2c6380 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/simple.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/simple.py
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
                                    {'host': service['host'],
                                     'scheduled_at': now})
                 return service['host']
-        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("No hosts found"))
+        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("Scheduler was unable to locate a host"
+                                   " for this request. Is the appropriate"
+                                   " service running?"))
 
     def schedule_create_volume(self, context, volume_id, *_args, **_kwargs):
         """Picks a host that is up and has the fewest volumes."""
@@ -107,7 +109,9 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
                                  {'host': service['host'],
                                   'scheduled_at': now})
                 return service['host']
-        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("No hosts found"))
+        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("Scheduler was unable to locate a host"
+                                   " for this request. Is the appropriate"
+                                   " service running?"))
 
     def schedule_set_network_host(self, context, *_args, **_kwargs):
         """Picks a host that is up and has the fewest networks."""
@@ -119,4 +123,6 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
                 raise driver.NoValidHost(_("All hosts have too many networks"))
             if self.service_is_up(service):
                 return service['host']
-        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("No hosts found"))
+        raise driver.NoValidHost(_("Scheduler was unable to locate a host"
+                                   " for this request. Is the appropriate"
+                                   " service running?"))
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/zone.py b/nova/scheduler/zone.py
index 49786cd3236c..44d5a166f8ff 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/zone.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/zone.py
@@ -52,5 +52,8 @@ class ZoneScheduler(driver.Scheduler):
         zone = _kwargs.get('availability_zone')
         hosts = self.hosts_up_with_zone(context, topic, zone)
         if not hosts:
-            raise driver.NoValidHost(_("No hosts found"))
+            raise driver.NoValidHost(_("Scheduler was unable to locate a host"
+                                       " for this request. Is the appropriate"
+                                       " service running?"))
+
         return hosts[int(random.random() * len(hosts))]