diff --git a/plugins/inputs/kafka_consumer/kafka_consumer.go b/plugins/inputs/kafka_consumer/kafka_consumer.go
index 2cae4a73dbc6b..2f6933db0c004 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/kafka_consumer/kafka_consumer.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/kafka_consumer/kafka_consumer.go
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ func (k *Kafka) receiver() {
 			}
 		case msg := <-k.in:
 			if k.MaxMessageLen != 0 && len(msg.Value) > k.MaxMessageLen {
-				k.acc.AddError(fmt.Errorf("Message longer than max_message_len (%d)", k.MaxMessageLen))
+				k.acc.AddError(fmt.Errorf("Message longer than max_message_len (%d > %d)",
+					len(msg.Value), k.MaxMessageLen))
 			} else {
 				metrics, err := k.parser.Parse(msg.Value)
 				if err != nil {