diff --git a/apps/api/src/pkg/keys/service.ts b/apps/api/src/pkg/keys/service.ts
index 15c03d0223..93a8c7e558 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pkg/keys/service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pkg/keys/service.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ export class DisabledWorkspaceError extends BaseError<{ workspaceId: string }> {
 export class MissingRatelimitError extends BaseError<{ name: string }> {
   public readonly retry = false;
   public readonly name = MissingRatelimitError.name;
-  constructor(name: string) {
+  constructor(ratelimitName: string, message: string) {
     super({
-      message: `ratelimit "${name}" does not exist`,
+      message,
       context: {
-        name,
+        name: ratelimitName,
       },
     });
   }
@@ -504,7 +504,14 @@ export class KeyService {
         continue;
       }
 
-      return Err(new MissingRatelimitError(r.name));
+      let errorMessage = `ratelimit "${r.name}" was requested but does not exist for key "${data.key.id}"`;
+      if (data.identity) {
+        errorMessage += ` nor identity { id: ${data.identity.id}, externalId: ${data.identity.externalId}}`;
+      } else {
+        errorMessage += " and there is no identity connected";
+      }
+
+      return Err(new MissingRatelimitError(r.name, errorMessage));
     }
 
     const [pass, ratelimit] = await this.ratelimit(c, data.key, ratelimits);
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/v1_keys_verifyKey.error.test.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/v1_keys_verifyKey.error.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb30e8385a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/v1_keys_verifyKey.error.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+
+import type { ErrorResponse } from "@/pkg/errors";
+import { schema } from "@unkey/db";
+import { newId } from "@unkey/id";
+import { IntegrationHarness } from "src/pkg/testutil/integration-harness";
+
+describe("with identity", () => {
+  describe("with ratelimits", () => {
+    describe("missing ratelimit", () => {
+      test("returns 400 and a useful error message", async (t) => {
+        const h = await IntegrationHarness.init(t);
+
+        const identity = {
+          id: newId("test"),
+          workspaceId: h.resources.userWorkspace.id,
+          externalId: newId("test"),
+        };
+        await h.db.primary.insert(schema.identities).values(identity);
+        await h.db.primary.insert(schema.ratelimits).values({
+          id: newId("test"),
+          workspaceId: h.resources.userWorkspace.id,
+          name: "existing-ratelimit",
+          identityId: identity.id,
+          limit: 100,
+          duration: 60_000,
+        });
+
+        const key = await h.createKey({ identityId: identity.id });
+
+        const res = await h.post<any, ErrorResponse>({
+          url: "/v1/keys.verifyKey",
+          headers: {
+            "Content-Type": "application/json",
+          },
+          body: {
+            key: key.key,
+            ratelimits: [
+              {
+                name: "does-not-exist",
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        });
+
+        expect(res.status).toEqual(400);
+        expect(res.body.error.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+          `"ratelimit "does-not-exist" was requested but does not exist for key "test_2BC2hsZxB7P9WLR37L8K4jSwMugv" nor identity { id: test_2BC2hZebF4du9PYnijrmSryNP9xe, externalId: test_2BC2hZjbrfj1Zb1HgudRYbonQzpx}"`,
+        );
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe("without identity", () => {
+  describe("with ratelimits", () => {
+    describe("missing ratelimit", () => {
+      test("returns 400 and a useful error message", async (t) => {
+        const h = await IntegrationHarness.init(t);
+
+        const key = await h.createKey();
+
+        await h.db.primary.insert(schema.ratelimits).values({
+          id: newId("test"),
+          workspaceId: h.resources.userWorkspace.id,
+          name: "existing-ratelimit",
+          keyId: key.keyId,
+          limit: 100,
+          duration: 60_000,
+        });
+
+        const res = await h.post<any, ErrorResponse>({
+          url: "/v1/keys.verifyKey",
+          headers: {
+            "Content-Type": "application/json",
+          },
+          body: {
+            key: key.key,
+            ratelimits: [
+              {
+                name: "does-not-exist",
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        });
+
+        expect(res.status).toEqual(400);
+        expect(res.body.error.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+          `"ratelimit "does-not-exist" was requested but does not exist for key "test_2BC2mdMQYnubdoAsBb2PD7MhooPs" and there is no identity connected"`,
+        );
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});