diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 4ccd179..2f4f87e 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ News file for Stow.
 
 * Changes in version 2.1.4
 
+** Improve error message when stow package is not found.
+
+   The error message displayed a path to the missing stow package
+   which was relative to the target directory rather than the cwd,
+   which was confusing for the user.
+
 ** Test suite improvements
 
    The test suite has been tightened up slightly.
diff --git a/lib/Stow.pm.in b/lib/Stow.pm.in
index 4479b6a..7ef1828 100755
--- a/lib/Stow.pm.in
+++ b/lib/Stow.pm.in
@@ -248,8 +248,9 @@ sub plan_unstow {
 
     $self->within_target_do(sub {
         for my $package (@packages) {
-            if (not -d join_paths($self->{stow_path}, $package)) {
-                error("The stow directory $self->{dir} does not contain package $package");
+            my $path = join_paths($self->{stow_path}, $package);
+            if (not -d $path) {
+                error("The stow directory $self->{stow_path} does not contain package $package");
             }
             debug(2, "Planning unstow of package $package...");
             if ($self->{compat}) {
@@ -286,15 +287,16 @@ sub plan_stow {
 
     $self->within_target_do(sub {
         for my $package (@packages) {
-            if (not -d join_paths($self->{stow_path}, $package)) {
-                error("The stow directory $self->{dir} does not contain package $package");
+            my $path = join_paths($self->{stow_path}, $package);
+            if (not -d $path) {
+                error("The stow directory $self->{stow_path} does not contain package $package");
             }
             debug(2, "Planning stow of package $package...");
             $self->stow_contents(
                 $self->{stow_path},
                 $package,
                 '.',
-                join_paths($self->{stow_path}, $package), # source from target
+                $path, # source from target
             );
             debug(2, "Planning stow of package $package... done");
             $self->{action_count}++;