diff --git a/mesonpy/_editable.py b/mesonpy/_editable.py
index 92289204..db7f11cc 100644
--- a/mesonpy/_editable.py
+++ b/mesonpy/_editable.py
@@ -346,7 +346,8 @@ def _rebuild(self) -> Node:
             build_command = ' '.join(self._build_cmd)
             raise ImportError(
                 f'Error in meson-python when building {self._name}: {build_command}\n'
-                'See above for more details'
+                'See above for more details (make sure to be in verbose editable mode, '
+                'for example by setting MESONPY_EDITABLE_VERBOSE=1)'
             ) from exc
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_editable.py b/tests/test_editable.py
index 6df9c32a..4fc18454 100644
--- a/tests/test_editable.py
+++ b/tests/test_editable.py
@@ -310,7 +310,10 @@ def test_editable_verbose(venv, package_complex, editable_complex, monkeypatch):
     assert venv.python('-c', 'import complex') == ''
 
 
-def test_editable_importerror_on_rebuild_error(venv, package_complex, editable_complex):
+def test_editable_importerror_on_rebuild_error(venv, package_complex, editable_complex, monkeypatch):
+    # Compilation error in in stdout of compiling command only if we are in
+    # verbose meson editable mode
+    monkeypatch.setenv('MESONPY_EDITABLE_VERBOSE', '1')
     try:
         venv.pip('install', os.fspath(editable_complex))
         venv.python('-c', 'import complex')
@@ -320,10 +323,10 @@ def test_editable_importerror_on_rebuild_error(venv, package_complex, editable_c
 
         process = subprocess.run([venv.executable, '-c', 'import complex'], capture_output=True)
         assert process.returncode == 1
+        stdout = process.stdout.decode()
         stderr = process.stderr.decode()
         assert 'ImportError' in stderr
-        # TODO Why is the original error not in the stderr???
-        # assert "compilation_error_here" in stderr
+        assert 'compilation_error_here' in stdout
 
         # Restore original content and import again, to make sure that the
         # workflow of "keep importing until the compilation error is fixed""