diff --git a/cmd/lk/agent.go b/cmd/lk/agent.go
index 54099f90..bc4d4d1d 100644
--- a/cmd/lk/agent.go
+++ b/cmd/lk/agent.go
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ func createAgent(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error {
 		lkConfig = config.NewLiveKitTOML(subdomainMatches[1]).WithDefaultAgent()
 	}
 	if !silent {
-		fmt.Printf("Creating new agent\n")
+		fmt.Printf("Creating new agent deployment\n")
 	}
 
 	secrets, err := requireSecrets(ctx, cmd, false, false)
@@ -540,10 +540,10 @@ func createAgent(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error {
 	}
 
 	projectType, err := agentfs.DetectProjectType(os.DirFS(workingDir))
-	fmt.Printf("Detected project type [%s]\n", util.Accented(string(projectType)))
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine project type: %w, please use a supported project type, or create your own Dockerfile in the current directory", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine agent language: %w, please navigate to a directory containing an agent written in a supported language", err)
 	}
+	fmt.Printf("Detected agent language [%s]\n", util.Accented(string(projectType)))
 
 	if err := requireDockerfile(ctx, cmd, workingDir, projectType, settingsMap); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -717,8 +717,9 @@ func deployAgent(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error {
 
 	projectType, err := agentfs.DetectProjectType(os.DirFS(workingDir))
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine project type: %w, please use a supported project type, or create your own Dockerfile in the current directory", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine agent language: %w, please make sure you are inside a directory containing an agent written in a supported language", err)
 	}
+	fmt.Printf("Detected agent language [%s]\n", util.Accented(string(projectType)))
 
 	settingsMap, err := getClientSettings(ctx, cmd.Bool("silent"))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1436,10 +1437,10 @@ func generateAgentDockerfile(ctx context.Context, cmd *cli.Command) error {
 	}
 
 	projectType, err := agentfs.DetectProjectType(os.DirFS(workingDir))
-	fmt.Printf("Detected project type [%s]\n", util.Accented(string(projectType)))
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine project type: %w, please use a supported project type, or create your own Dockerfile in the current directory", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to determine agent language: %w, please make sure you are inside a directory containing an agent written in a supported language", err)
 	}
+	fmt.Printf("Detected agent language [%s]\n", util.Accented(string(projectType)))
 
 	dockerfilePath := filepath.Join(workingDir, "Dockerfile")
 	dockerignorePath := filepath.Join(workingDir, ".dockerignore")
diff --git a/pkg/agentfs/detect.go b/pkg/agentfs/detect.go
index d8c6194b..55a0ceae 100644
--- a/pkg/agentfs/detect.go
+++ b/pkg/agentfs/detect.go
@@ -113,5 +113,5 @@ func DetectProjectType(dir fs.FS) (ProjectType, error) {
 		return ProjectTypePythonPip, nil
 	}
 
-	return ProjectTypeUnknown, errors.New("project type could not be identified; expected package.json, requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, or lock files")
+	return ProjectTypeUnknown, errors.New("expected package.json, requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, or lock files")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/agentfs/sdk_version_check.go b/pkg/agentfs/sdk_version_check.go
index 54bbc01b..05cee489 100644
--- a/pkg/agentfs/sdk_version_check.go
+++ b/pkg/agentfs/sdk_version_check.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func CheckSDKVersion(dir string, projectType ProjectType, settingsMap map[string
 	// Find the best result (prefer lock files over source files)
 	bestResult := findBestResult(results)
 	if bestResult == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("package %s not found in any project files", getTargetPackageName(projectType))
+		return fmt.Errorf("package %s not found in any project files. Are you sure this is an agent?", getTargetPackageName(projectType))
 	}
 
 	if !bestResult.Satisfied {