diff --git a/loopy/kernel/array.py b/loopy/kernel/array.py
index 0170abd1620934e91f4a018995d81379977e40cf..9c21a04e62f455cadc7b06a3b4d60bb35a14802c 100644
--- a/loopy/kernel/array.py
+++ b/loopy/kernel/array.py
@@ -456,8 +456,9 @@ class ArrayBase(Record):
             dtype = np.dtype(dtype)
 
         if dtype == object:
-            raise TypeError("loopy does not support object arrays "
-                    "(object dtype encountered on array '%s')"
+            raise TypeError("loopy does not directly support object arrays "
+                    "(object dtype encountered on array '%s') "
+                    "-- you may want to tag the relevant array axis as 'sep'"
                     % name)
 
         strides_known = strides is not None and strides is not lp.auto
diff --git a/loopy/kernel/creation.py b/loopy/kernel/creation.py
index 252a588b2528545b5d94178b937ecf621146060b..8fd39a685114a488873a515755021289994b58a6 100644
--- a/loopy/kernel/creation.py
+++ b/loopy/kernel/creation.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def parse_insn(insn):
     elif subst_match is not None:
         groups = subst_match.groupdict()
     else:
-        raise RuntimeError("insn parse error")
+        raise RuntimeError("isntruction parse error at '%s'" % insn)
 
     from loopy.symbolic import parse
     try: