diff --git a/lang/en/moodle.php b/lang/en/moodle.php
index b41fd326ef0..f3f03d01cfa 100644
--- a/lang/en/moodle.php
+++ b/lang/en/moodle.php
@@ -606,6 +606,11 @@ $string['emailpasswordconfirmationsubject'] = '{$a}: Change password confirmatio
 $string['emailpasswordconfirmmaybesent'] = '<p>If you supplied a correct username or email address then an email should have been sent to you.</p>
    <p>It contains easy instructions to confirm and complete this password change.
 If you continue to have difficulty, please contact the site administrator.</p>';
+$string['emailpasswordconfirmnoemail'] = '<p>The user account you specified does not have a recorded email address.</p>
+   <p>Please contact the site administrator.</p>';
+$string['emailpasswordconfirmnotsent'] = '<p>The user detail you supplied does not identify an existing user account.</p>
+   <p>Please check the detail you entered, then try again.
+If you continue to have difficulty, please contact the site administrator.</p>';
 $string['emailpasswordconfirmsent'] = 'An email should have been sent to your address at <b>{$a}</b>.
 <br />It contains easy instructions to confirm and complete this password change.
 If you continue to have difficulty, contact the site administrator.';
diff --git a/login/lib.php b/login/lib.php
index 6326ac86f04..7d8f63b48ed 100644
--- a/login/lib.php
+++ b/login/lib.php
@@ -71,11 +71,14 @@ function forgotpw_process_request() {
             // Print general (non-commital) message
             notice(get_string('emailpasswordconfirmmaybesent'), $CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
             die; // never reached
-        } elseif (empty($user) || empty($user->email)) {
-            // Protect usernames is off, and we either couldn't find the user, or they don't have an email set.
-            // Still print non-commital message
-            // This is a big usability problem - need to tell users when we couldn't find the details they requested.
-            notice(get_string('emailpasswordconfirmmaybesent'), $CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
+        } elseif (empty($user)) {
+            // Protect usernames is off, and we couldn't find the user with details specified.
+            // Print failure advice:
+            notice(get_string('emailpasswordconfirmnotsent'), $CFG->wwwroot.'/forgot_password.php');
+            die; // never reached
+        } elseif (empty($user->email)) {
+            // User doesn't have an email set - can't send a password change confimation email.
+            notice(get_string('emailpasswordconfirmnoemail'), $CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
             die; // never reached
         } elseif ($pwresetstatus == PWRESET_STATUS_NOEMAILSENT) {
             // User found, protectusernames is off, but user is not confirmed