diff --git a/yt/utilities/on_demand_imports.py b/yt/utilities/on_demand_imports.py
index 6f593b59b40..9516067f3d3 100644
--- a/yt/utilities/on_demand_imports.py
+++ b/yt/utilities/on_demand_imports.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import sys
 from functools import wraps
 from importlib.util import find_spec
-from typing import Type
+from typing import Optional, Type
 
 
 class NotAModule:
@@ -11,11 +11,27 @@ class NotAModule:
     package installed.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, pkg_name):
+    def __init__(self, pkg_name, exc: Optional[BaseException] = None):
         self.pkg_name = pkg_name
-        self.error = ImportError(
-            f"This functionality requires the {self.pkg_name} package to be installed."
+        self._original_exception = exc
+        error_note = (
+            f"Something went wrong while trying to lazy-import {pkg_name}. "
+            f"Please make sure that {pkg_name} is properly installed.\n"
+            "If the problem persists, please file an issue at "
+            "https://github.com/yt-project/yt/issues/new"
         )
+        self.error: BaseException
+        if exc is None:
+            self.error = ImportError(error_note)
+        elif sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
+            exc.add_note(error_note)
+            self.error = exc
+        else:
+            # mimick Python 3.11 behaviour:
+            # preserve error message and traceback
+            self.error = type(exc)(f"{exc!s}\n{error_note}").with_traceback(
+                exc.__traceback__
+            )
 
     def __getattr__(self, item):
         raise self.error
@@ -24,7 +40,10 @@ def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         raise self.error
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return f"NotAModule({self.pkg_name!r})"
+        if self._original_exception is None:
+            return f"NotAModule({self.pkg_name!r})"
+        else:
+            return f"NotAModule({self.pkg_name!r}, {self._original_exception})"
 
 
 class OnDemand:
@@ -57,8 +76,8 @@ def safe_import(func):
     def inner(self):
         try:
             return func(self)
-        except ImportError:
-            return self._default_factory(self._name)
+        except ImportError as exc:
+            return self._default_factory(self._name, exc)
 
     return inner
 
diff --git a/yt/utilities/tests/test_on_demand_imports.py b/yt/utilities/tests/test_on_demand_imports.py
index 549ccfee145..4aa424396bd 100644
--- a/yt/utilities/tests/test_on_demand_imports.py
+++ b/yt/utilities/tests/test_on_demand_imports.py
@@ -27,10 +27,24 @@ def spam(self):
     _bacon = Bacon_imports()
     with pytest.raises(
         ImportError,
-        match=r"This functionality requires the Bacon package to be installed\.",
-    ):
+        match=r"No module named 'Bacon'",
+    ) as excinfo:
         _bacon.spam()
 
+    # yt should add information to the original error message
+    # but this done slightly differently in Python>=3.11
+    # (using exception notes), so we can't just match the error message
+    # directly. Instead this implements a Python-version agnostic check
+    # that the user-visible error message is what we expect.
+    complete_error_message = excinfo.exconly()
+    assert complete_error_message == (
+        "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'Bacon'\n"
+        "Something went wrong while trying to lazy-import Bacon. "
+        "Please make sure that Bacon is properly installed.\n"
+        "If the problem persists, please file an issue at "
+        "https://github.com/yt-project/yt/issues/new"
+    )
+
 
 def test_class_invalidation():
     with pytest.raises(