diff --git a/fsmonitor-settings.c b/fsmonitor-settings.c
index 531a1b6f956..ee63a97dc51 100644
--- a/fsmonitor-settings.c
+++ b/fsmonitor-settings.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "repository.h"
+#include "fsmonitor-ipc.h"
 #include "fsmonitor-settings.h"
 #include "fsmonitor-path-utils.h"
 
@@ -242,10 +243,11 @@ enum fsmonitor_reason fsm_settings__get_reason(struct repository *r)
 	return r->settings.fsmonitor->reason;
 }
 
-char *fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(const struct repository *r,
+char *fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(struct repository *r,
 					 enum fsmonitor_reason reason)
 {
 	struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
+	const char *socket_dir;
 
 	switch (reason) {
 	case FSMONITOR_REASON_UNTESTED:
@@ -281,9 +283,11 @@ char *fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(const struct repository *r,
 		goto done;
 
 	case FSMONITOR_REASON_NOSOCKETS:
+		socket_dir = dirname((char *)fsmonitor_ipc__get_path(r));
 		strbuf_addf(&msg,
-			    _("repository '%s' is incompatible with fsmonitor due to lack of Unix sockets"),
-			    r->worktree);
+			    _("socket directory '%s' is incompatible with fsmonitor due"
+			      " to lack of Unix sockets support"),
+			    socket_dir);
 		goto done;
 	}
 
diff --git a/fsmonitor-settings.h b/fsmonitor-settings.h
index 0721617b95a..ab02e3995ee 100644
--- a/fsmonitor-settings.h
+++ b/fsmonitor-settings.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ enum fsmonitor_mode fsm_settings__get_mode(struct repository *r);
 const char *fsm_settings__get_hook_path(struct repository *r);
 
 enum fsmonitor_reason fsm_settings__get_reason(struct repository *r);
-char *fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(const struct repository *r,
+char *fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(struct repository *r,
 					 enum fsmonitor_reason reason);
 
 struct fsmonitor_settings;
diff --git a/fsmonitor.c b/fsmonitor.c
index 57d6a483bee..540736b39fd 100644
--- a/fsmonitor.c
+++ b/fsmonitor.c
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ static int fsmonitor_force_update_threshold = 100;
 
 void refresh_fsmonitor(struct index_state *istate)
 {
+	static int warn_once = 0;
 	struct strbuf query_result = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int query_success = 0, hook_version = -1;
 	size_t bol = 0; /* beginning of line */
@@ -305,6 +306,12 @@ void refresh_fsmonitor(struct index_state *istate)
 	int is_trivial = 0;
 	struct repository *r = istate->repo ? istate->repo : the_repository;
 	enum fsmonitor_mode fsm_mode = fsm_settings__get_mode(r);
+	enum fsmonitor_reason reason = fsm_settings__get_reason(r);
+
+	if (!warn_once && reason > FSMONITOR_REASON_OK) {
+		warn_once = 1;
+		warning("%s", fsm_settings__get_incompatible_msg(r, reason));
+	}
 
 	if (fsm_mode <= FSMONITOR_MODE_DISABLED ||
 	    istate->fsmonitor_has_run_once)