diff --git a/.changeset/public-feet-hide.md b/.changeset/public-feet-hide.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef8c7556c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/public-feet-hide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/npm-resolver": patch
+---
+
+Improve the error messages related to `trustPolicy` mismatch.
diff --git a/resolving/npm-resolver/src/trustChecks.ts b/resolving/npm-resolver/src/trustChecks.ts
index 3b9fdaeb5f..9416e409c7 100644
--- a/resolving/npm-resolver/src/trustChecks.ts
+++ b/resolving/npm-resolver/src/trustChecks.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ export function failIfTrustDowngraded (
       'TRUST_DOWNGRADE',
       `High-risk trust downgrade for "${meta.name}@${version}" (possible package takeover)`,
       {
-        hint: `Earlier versions had ${prettyPrintTrustEvidence(strongestEvidencePriorToRequestedVersion)}, ` +
+        hint: 'Trust checks are based solely on publish date, not semver. ' +
+          'A package cannot be installed if any earlier-published version had stronger trust evidence. ' +
+          `Earlier versions had ${prettyPrintTrustEvidence(strongestEvidencePriorToRequestedVersion)}, ` +
           `but this version has ${prettyPrintTrustEvidence(currentTrustEvidence)}. ` +
           'A trust downgrade may indicate a supply chain incident.',
       }