diff --git a/pkg/dist/buildmodule.go b/pkg/dist/buildmodule.go
index 75d10d44e..ec3dc99ec 100644
--- a/pkg/dist/buildmodule.go
+++ b/pkg/dist/buildmodule.go
@@ -59,6 +59,6 @@ type Target struct {
 }
 
 type Distribution struct {
-	Name     string   `json:"name" toml:"name"`
+	Name     string   `json:"name,omitempty" toml:"name,omitempty"`
 	Versions []string `json:"versions,omitempty" toml:"versions,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor.go b/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor.go
index e54e89c1b..5714fd0c0 100644
--- a/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor.go
+++ b/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package dist
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -84,7 +85,33 @@ func (b *BuildpackDescriptor) EnsureTargetSupport(os, arch, distroName, distroVe
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return fmt.Errorf("buildpack %s does not support target: (%s %s, %s@%s)", style.Symbol(b.Info().FullName()), os, arch, distroName, distroVersion)
+	type osDistribution struct {
+		Name    string `json:"name,omitempty"`
+		Version string `json:"version,omitempty"`
+	}
+	type target struct {
+		OS           string         `json:"os"`
+		Arch         string         `json:"arch"`
+		Distribution osDistribution `json:"distribution"`
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf(
+		"unable to satisfy target os/arch constraints; build image: %s, buildpack %s: %s",
+		toJSONMaybe(target{
+			OS:           os,
+			Arch:         arch,
+			Distribution: osDistribution{Name: distroName, Version: distroVersion},
+		}),
+		style.Symbol(b.Info().FullName()),
+		toJSONMaybe(b.Targets()),
+	)
+}
+
+func toJSONMaybe(v interface{}) string {
+	b, err := json.Marshal(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s", v) // hopefully v is a Stringer
+	}
+	return string(b)
 }
 
 func (b *BuildpackDescriptor) Kind() string {
diff --git a/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor_test.go b/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor_test.go
index cbeb9d3e8..9edc2772d 100644
--- a/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/dist/buildpack_descriptor_test.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func testBuildpackDescriptor(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 
 			h.AssertNil(t, bp.EnsureStackSupport("some.stack.id", []string{}, true))
 			h.AssertError(t, bp.EnsureTargetSupport("some-other-os", "fake-arch", "fake-distro", "0.0"),
-				"buildpack 'some.buildpack.id@some.buildpack.version' does not support target: (some-other-os fake-arch, fake-distro@0.0)")
+				`unable to satisfy target os/arch constraints; build image: {"os":"some-other-os","arch":"fake-arch","distribution":{"name":"fake-distro","version":"0.0"}}, buildpack 'some.buildpack.id@some.buildpack.version': [{"os":"fake-os","arch":"fake-arch"}]`)
 		})
 
 		it("succeeds with distribution", func() {
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ func testBuildpackDescriptor(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 
 			h.AssertNil(t, bp.EnsureStackSupport("some.stack.id", []string{}, true))
 			h.AssertError(t, bp.EnsureTargetSupport("some-other-os", "fake-arch", "fake-distro", "0.0"),
-				"buildpack 'some.buildpack.id@some.buildpack.version' does not support target: (some-other-os fake-arch, fake-distro@0.0)")
+				`unable to satisfy target os/arch constraints; build image: {"os":"some-other-os","arch":"fake-arch","distribution":{"name":"fake-distro","version":"0.0"}}, buildpack 'some.buildpack.id@some.buildpack.version': [{"os":"fake-os","arch":"fake-arch","distributions":[{"name":"fake-distro","versions":["0.1"]},{"name":"another-distro","versions":["0.22"]}]}]`)
 		})
 	})