diff --git a/applications/tari_app_utilities/src/utilities.rs b/applications/tari_app_utilities/src/utilities.rs
index aa40ad157f..f2ab6a6a5c 100644
--- a/applications/tari_app_utilities/src/utilities.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_app_utilities/src/utilities.rs
@@ -52,15 +52,15 @@ pub const LOG_TARGET: &str = "tari::application";
 pub enum ExitCodes {
     #[error("There is an error in the wallet configuration: {0}")]
     ConfigError(String),
-    #[error("The wallet exited because an unknown error occurred. Check the logs for details.")]
+    #[error("The application exited because an unknown error occurred. Check the logs for details.")]
     UnknownError,
-    #[error("The wallet exited because an interface error occurred. Check the logs for details.")]
+    #[error("The application exited because an interface error occurred. Check the logs for details.")]
     InterfaceError,
-    #[error("The wallet exited. {0}")]
+    #[error("The application exited. {0}")]
     WalletError(String),
     #[error("The wallet was not able to start the GRPC server. {0}")]
     GrpcError(String),
-    #[error("The wallet did not accept the command input: {0}")]
+    #[error("The application did not accept the command input: {0}")]
     InputError(String),
     #[error("Invalid command: {0}")]
     CommandError(String),
@@ -74,8 +74,10 @@ pub enum ExitCodes {
     ConversionError(String),
     #[error("Your password was incorrect.")]
     IncorrectPassword,
-    #[error("Your wallet is encrypted but no password was provided.")]
+    #[error("Your application is encrypted but no password was provided.")]
     NoPassword,
+    #[error("Tor connection is offline")]
+    TorOffline,
 }
 
 impl ExitCodes {
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ impl ExitCodes {
             Self::NetworkError(_) => 110,
             Self::ConversionError(_) => 111,
             Self::IncorrectPassword | Self::NoPassword => 112,
+            Self::TorOffline => 113,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/applications/tari_base_node/src/main.rs b/applications/tari_base_node/src/main.rs
index 5cc6b22f37..e02e1b524d 100644
--- a/applications/tari_base_node/src/main.rs
+++ b/applications/tari_base_node/src/main.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ use tari_app_utilities::{
     utilities::{setup_runtime, ExitCodes},
 };
 use tari_common::{configuration::bootstrap::ApplicationType, ConfigBootstrap, GlobalConfig};
-use tari_comms::peer_manager::PeerFeatures;
+use tari_comms::{peer_manager::PeerFeatures, tor::HiddenServiceControllerError};
 use tari_shutdown::{Shutdown, ShutdownSignal};
 use tokio::{runtime, task, time};
 use tonic::transport::Server;
@@ -198,6 +198,23 @@ async fn run_node(node_config: Arc<GlobalConfig>, bootstrap: ConfigBootstrap) ->
     .await
     .map_err(|err| {
         error!(target: LOG_TARGET, "{}", err);
+        for boxed_error in err.chain() {
+            if let Some(HiddenServiceControllerError::TorControlPortOffline) =
+                boxed_error.downcast_ref::<HiddenServiceControllerError>()
+            {
+                println!("Unable to connect to the Tor control port.");
+                println!(
+                    "Please check that you have the Tor proxy running and that access to the Tor control port is \
+                     turned on.",
+                );
+                println!("If you are unsure of what to do, use the following command to start the Tor proxy:");
+                println!(
+                    "tor --allow-missing-torrc --ignore-missing-torrc --clientonly 1 --socksport 9050 --controlport \
+                     127.0.0.1:9051 --log \"notice stdout\" --clientuseipv6 1",
+                );
+                return ExitCodes::TorOffline;
+            }
+        }
         ExitCodes::UnknownError
     })?;