diff --git a/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks.go b/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks.go
index ff380af42..0c73e898c 100644
--- a/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks.go
+++ b/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func SecretCertificateNameAnnotationsMismatch(input Input) (string, string, bool
 	name, ok := input.Secret.Annotations[cmapi.CertificateNameKey]
 	if (ok) && // only check if an annotation is present
 		name != input.Certificate.Name {
-		return IncorrectCertificate, fmt.Sprintf("Issuing certificate as Secret was previously issued for %q", name), true
+		return IncorrectCertificate, fmt.Sprintf("Secret was issued for %q. If this message is not transient, you might have two conflicting Certificates pointing to the same secret.", name), true
 	}
 	return "", "", false
 }
diff --git a/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks_test.go b/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks_test.go
index cf2207b30..884b653d8 100644
--- a/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/certificates/policies/checks_test.go
@@ -2324,7 +2324,7 @@ func Test_SecretCertificateNameAnnotationsMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			expReason:    "IncorrectCertificate",
-			expMessage:   "Issuing certificate as Secret was previously issued for \"foo\"",
+			expMessage:   "Secret was issued for \"foo\". If this message is not transient, you might have two conflicting Certificates pointing to the same secret.",
 			expViolation: true,
 		},
 	}