diff --git a/.changeset/gentle-flies-smash.md b/.changeset/gentle-flies-smash.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae6051efb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/gentle-flies-smash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/get-context": patch
+---
+
+Improve the error message when `node_modules` should be recreated.
diff --git a/pkg-manager/core/test/lockfile.ts b/pkg-manager/core/test/lockfile.ts
index 39eae52c8d..3ca48a7ef8 100644
--- a/pkg-manager/core/test/lockfile.ts
+++ b/pkg-manager/core/test/lockfile.ts
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ test('when using a different registry, add -g to the error report according to o
     err = _err
   }
   expect(err.code).toBe('ERR_PNPM_REGISTRIES_MISMATCH')
-  expect(err.message).toContain('pnpm install -g')
+  expect(err.hint).toContain('pnpm install -g')
 })
 
 test('broken lockfile is fixed even if it seems like up to date at first. Unless frozenLockfile option is set to true', async () => {
diff --git a/pkg-manager/get-context/src/index.ts b/pkg-manager/get-context/src/index.ts
index 1220c72c5c..6ed47ce320 100644
--- a/pkg-manager/get-context/src/index.ts
+++ b/pkg-manager/get-context/src/index.ts
@@ -291,7 +291,9 @@ async function validateModules (
       await purgeModulesDirsOfImporters(opts, projects)
       return { purged: true }
     }
-    throw new PnpmError('REGISTRIES_MISMATCH', `This modules directory was created using the following registries configuration: ${JSON.stringify(modules.registries)}. The current configuration is ${JSON.stringify(opts.registries)}. To recreate the modules directory using the new settings, run "pnpm install${opts.global ? ' -g' : ''}".`)
+    throw new PnpmError('REGISTRIES_MISMATCH', `This modules directory was created using the following registries configuration: ${JSON.stringify(modules.registries)}. The current configuration is ${JSON.stringify(opts.registries)}.`, {
+      hint: `To recreate the modules directory using the new settings, run "pnpm install${opts.global ? ' -g' : ''}".`,
+    })
   }
   if (purged && (rootProject == null)) {
     await purgeModulesDirsOfImporter(opts, {