diff --git a/tools/esp32/Config.mk b/tools/esp32/Config.mk
index d814505ea3..e153c39877 100644
--- a/tools/esp32/Config.mk
+++ b/tools/esp32/Config.mk
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ ifdef ESPTOOL_BINDIR
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ESP32_QEMU_IMAGE),y)
-	MK_QEMU_IMG=$(TOPDIR)/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh -b $(BOOTLOADER) -p $(PARTITION_TABLE)
+	# The "echo" part makes sure that the QEMU script doesn't abort the rest of
+	# the make process.  So, if the script fails, the help message is printed.
+
+	MK_QEMU_IMG=$(TOPDIR)/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh -b $(BOOTLOADER) -p $(PARTITION_TABLE) \
+				|| echo "Try make ESPTOOL_BINDIR=bins_path"
 else
 	MK_QEMU_IMG=
 endif
diff --git a/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh b/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh
index d33b815887..357b964792 100755
--- a/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh
+++ b/tools/esp32/mk_qemu_img.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ usage() {
   echo "  -n <nuttx> path to the nuttx image (default nuttx.bin)"
   echo "  -i <image_name> name of the resulting image (default esp32_qemu_img.bin)"
   echo "  -h will show this help and terminate"
+  echo ""
 }
 
 while [ -n "${1}" ]; do
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ done
 # Make sure we have the required argument(s)
 
 if [ -z "${BOOTLOADER_IMG}" ] || [ -z "${PARTITION_IMG}" ] ; then
-  echo "Missing bootloader and partition table binary images."
+  echo ""
+  echo "${SCRIPT_NAME}: Missing bootloader and partition table binary images."
   usage
   exit 1
 fi
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ dd if="${PARTITION_IMG}" bs=1 seek="$(printf '%d' 0x8000)" of="${FLASH_IMG}" con
 dd if="${NUTTX_IMG}" bs=1 seek="$(printf '%d' 0x10000)" of="${FLASH_IMG}" conv=notrunc
 
 if [ ${?} -ne 0 ]; then
-  printf "Failed to generate %s.\n" "${FLASH_IMG}"
+  printf "Failed to generate %s!\n" "${FLASH_IMG}"
   exit 1
 fi