diff --git a/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-duration.c b/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-duration.c
index 7735d4a79905..656f9077f939 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-duration.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-duration.c
@@ -193,17 +193,24 @@ static int check_limit (struct limit_duration *ctx,
 {
     double limit = ctx->general_limit;
     double qlimit = queues_lookup (ctx->queues, queue);
+    bool unlimited = duration == DURATION_UNLIMITED;
 
     if (qlimit != DURATION_INVALID)
         limit = qlimit;
     if (limit != DURATION_INVALID
         && limit != DURATION_UNLIMITED
-        && (duration > limit || duration == DURATION_UNLIMITED)) {
+        && (duration > limit || unlimited)) {
+        char requested[64];
         char fsd[64];
+        fsd_format_duration_ex (requested, sizeof (requested), duration, 2);
         fsd_format_duration_ex (fsd, sizeof (fsd), limit, 2);
         return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested duration exceeds policy limit of %s",
-                          fsd);
+                          "requested duration (%s) exceeds policy limit of "
+                          "%s%s%s",
+                          unlimited ? "unlimited" : requested,
+                          fsd,
+                          queue ? " for queue " : "",
+                          queue ? queue : "");
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-job-size.c b/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-job-size.c
index a27cc49161dc..d05300b013cd 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-job-size.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-manager/plugins/limit-job-size.c
@@ -297,6 +297,45 @@ static int queues_parse (zhashx_t **zhp,
     return -1;
 }
 
+static int check_limit (const char *queue,
+                        const char *resource,
+                        bool over,
+                        int limit,
+                        int value,
+                        flux_error_t *errp)
+{
+    if ((over && LIMIT_OVER (limit, value))
+        || (!over && LIMIT_UNDER (limit, value)))
+        return errprintf (errp,
+                          "requested %s (%d) %s policy limit of %d%s%s",
+                          resource,
+                          value,
+                          over ? "exceeds" : "is under",
+                          limit,
+                          queue ? " for queue ": "",
+                          queue ? queue : "");
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int check_over (const char *queue,
+                       const char *resource,
+                       int limit,
+                       int value,
+                       flux_error_t *errp)
+{
+    return check_limit (queue, resource, true, limit, value, errp);
+}
+
+static int check_under (const char *queue,
+                        const char *resource,
+                        int limit,
+                        int value,
+                        flux_error_t *errp)
+{
+    return check_limit (queue, resource, false, limit, value, errp);
+}
+
+
 static int check_limits (struct limit_job_size *ctx,
                          struct jj_counts *counts,
                          const char *queue,
@@ -305,41 +344,21 @@ static int check_limits (struct limit_job_size *ctx,
     struct limits limits;
     struct limits *queue_limits;
 
+    int nnodes = counts->nnodes;
+    int ncores = counts->nslots * counts->slot_size;
+    int ngpus = counts->nslots * counts->slot_gpus;
+
     limits = ctx->general_limits;
     if (queue && (queue_limits = queues_lookup (ctx->queues, queue)))
         limits_override (&limits, queue_limits);
 
-    if (LIMIT_OVER (limits.max.nnodes, counts->nnodes)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested nnodes exceeds policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.max.nnodes);
-    }
-    if (LIMIT_OVER (limits.max.ncores, counts->nslots * counts->slot_size)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested ncores exceeds policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.max.ncores);
-    }
-    if (LIMIT_OVER (limits.max.ngpus, counts->nslots * counts->slot_gpus)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested ngpus exceeds policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.max.ngpus);
-    }
-    if (LIMIT_UNDER (limits.min.nnodes, counts->nnodes)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested nnodes is under policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.min.nnodes);
-    }
-    if (LIMIT_UNDER (limits.min.ncores, counts->nslots * counts->slot_size)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested ncores is under policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.min.ncores);
-    }
-    if (LIMIT_UNDER (limits.min.ngpus, counts->nslots * counts->slot_gpus)) {
-        return errprintf (error,
-                          "requested ngpus is under policy limit of %d",
-                          limits.min.ngpus);
-    }
-
+    if (check_over (queue, "nnodes", limits.max.nnodes, nnodes, error) < 0
+        || check_over (queue, "ncores", limits.max.ncores, ncores, error) < 0
+        || check_over (queue, "ngpus", limits.max.ngpus, ngpus, error) < 0
+        || check_under (queue, "nnodes", limits.min.nnodes, nnodes, error) < 0
+        || check_under (queue, "ncores", limits.min.ncores, ncores, error) < 0
+        || check_under (queue, "ngpus", limits.min.ngpus, ngpus, error) < 0)
+        return -1;
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t2221-job-manager-limit-duration.t b/t/t2221-job-manager-limit-duration.t
index 16b482ebbdef..f0706a6c2e4d 100755
--- a/t/t2221-job-manager-limit-duration.t
+++ b/t/t2221-job-manager-limit-duration.t
@@ -40,10 +40,18 @@ test_expect_success 'configure policy.limits.duration and queue duration' '
 	flux queue start --all
 '
 test_expect_success 'a job that exceeds policy.limits.duration is rejected' '
-	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -t 2h true
+	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -t 2h true 2>limit.err &&
+	test_debug "cat limit.err"
+'
+test_expect_success 'error message includes expected details' '
+	grep "duration (2h) exceeds.*limit of 1h for queue debug" limit.err
 '
 test_expect_success 'a job with no limit is also rejected' '
-	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -t 0 true
+	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -t 0 true 2>limit2.err &&
+	test_debug "cat limit2.err"
+'
+test_expect_success 'error message includes expected details' '
+	grep "duration (unlimited) exceeds.*limit of 1h for queue debug" limit2.err
 '
 test_expect_success 'but is accepted by a queue with higher limit' '
 	flux submit \
diff --git a/t/t2222-job-manager-limit-job-size.t b/t/t2222-job-manager-limit-job-size.t
index 8a6cd6ba7bb7..2da6c470fd48 100755
--- a/t/t2222-job-manager-limit-job-size.t
+++ b/t/t2222-job-manager-limit-job-size.t
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ test_expect_success 'a job is accepted if under general gpu limit' '
 	flux submit --queue=debug -n1 true
 '
 test_expect_success 'a job is rejected if over gpu limit' '
-	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -n1 -g1 true
+	test_must_fail flux submit --queue=debug -n1 -g1 true 2>debug.err &&
+	test_debug "cat debug.err"
+'
+test_expect_success 'error message contains queue name' '
+	grep "for queue debug" debug.err
 '
 test_expect_success 'same job is accepted with unlimited queue override' '
 	flux submit --queue=batch -n1 -g1 true
diff --git a/t/t2290-job-update.t b/t/t2290-job-update.t
index 1cfcf4fae3ab..ac3858edf687 100755
--- a/t/t2290-job-update.t
+++ b/t/t2290-job-update.t
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ test_expect_success 'reload update-duration plugin with owner-allow-any=0' '
 test_expect_success 'update duration above policy limit now fails' '
 	test_expect_code 1 flux update $jobid duration=1h 2>limit.err &&
 	test_debug "cat limit.err" &&
-	grep "requested duration exceeds policy limit" limit.err
+	grep "requested duration.*exceeds policy limit" limit.err
 '
 test_expect_success 'update fails for running job' '
 	jobid=$(flux submit -t1m --wait-event=start sleep 60) &&
diff --git a/t/t2291-job-update-queue.t b/t/t2291-job-update-queue.t
index 5cb7dd0db096..56844c295fdd 100755
--- a/t/t2291-job-update-queue.t
+++ b/t/t2291-job-update-queue.t
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ test_expect_success 'job runs on batch resources' '
 test_expect_success 'update to queue with lower duration limit fails' '
 	jobid=$(flux submit -q batch --urgency=hold hostname) &&
 	test_must_fail flux update $jobid queue=debug 2>queue.err &&
-	grep "duration exceeds policy limit" queue.err
+	grep "duration.*exceeds policy limit" queue.err
 '
 test_expect_success 'update of duration allows queue update' '
 	flux update $jobid queue=debug duration=1m  &&