diff --git a/src/mds/MDSDaemon.cc b/src/mds/MDSDaemon.cc
index 824be24198440..ca8c3b6567853 100644
--- a/src/mds/MDSDaemon.cc
+++ b/src/mds/MDSDaemon.cc
@@ -552,7 +552,8 @@ int MDSDaemon::init()
       continue;
     }
     derr << "ERROR: failed to refresh rotating keys, "
-         << "maximum retry time reached." << dendl;
+         << "maximum retry time reached."
+	 << " Maybe I have a clock skew against the monitors?" << dendl;
     std::lock_guard locker{mds_lock};
     suicide();
     return -CEPHFS_ETIMEDOUT;
diff --git a/src/osd/OSD.cc b/src/osd/OSD.cc
index e162bded15ec9..114659f1da326 100644
--- a/src/osd/OSD.cc
+++ b/src/osd/OSD.cc
@@ -3824,7 +3824,8 @@ int OSD::init()
     derr << "unable to obtain rotating service keys; retrying" << dendl;
     ++rotating_auth_attempts;
     if (rotating_auth_attempts > g_conf()->max_rotating_auth_attempts) {
-        derr << __func__ << " wait_auth_rotating timed out" << dendl;
+        derr << __func__ << " wait_auth_rotating timed out"
+	     <<" -- maybe I have a clock skew against the monitors?" << dendl;
 	exit(1);
     }
   }