diff --git a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsinit.h b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsinit.h
index e6c63eaa2..c071d4caf 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsinit.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsinit.h
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class RsInit
 		 * This wrapper is used to lock the profile first before
 		 * finalising the login
 		 */
-		static int 	LockAndLoadCertificates(bool autoLoginNT);
+                static int 	LockAndLoadCertificates(bool autoLoginNT, std::string& lockFilePath);
 
 
 		/*!
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class RsInit
 		static bool RsTryAutoLogin() ;
 
 		/* Lock/unlock profile directory */
-		static int	LockConfigDirectory(const std::string& accountDir);
+                static int	LockConfigDirectory(const std::string& accountDir, std::string& lockFilePath);
 		static void	UnlockConfigDirectory();
 
 		/* The true LoadCertificates() method */
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/rsserver/rsinit.cc b/libretroshare/src/rsserver/rsinit.cc
index baeebfa3f..71ee2fb27 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/rsserver/rsinit.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/rsserver/rsinit.cc
@@ -1053,10 +1053,11 @@ int      RsInit::GetPGPLoginDetails(std::string id, std::string &name, std::stri
  * 1 : Another instance already has the lock
  * 2 : Unexpected error
  */
-int RsInit::LockConfigDirectory(const std::string& accountDir)
+int RsInit::LockConfigDirectory(const std::string& accountDir, std::string& lockFilePath)
 {
 	const std::string lockFile = accountDir + RsInitConfig::dirSeperator + "lock";
 
+        lockFilePath = lockFile;
 /******************************** WINDOWS/UNIX SPECIFIC PART ******************/
 #ifndef WINDOWS_SYS
 	if(RsInitConfig::lockHandle != -1)
@@ -1418,9 +1419,9 @@ bool     RsInit::LoadPassword(std::string id, std::string inPwd)
  * 2 : unexpected error while locking
  * 3 : unexpected error while loading certificates
  */
-int 	RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(bool autoLoginNT)
+int 	RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(bool autoLoginNT, std::string& lockFilePath)
 {
-	int retVal = LockConfigDirectory(RsInitConfig::configDir);
+        int retVal = LockConfigDirectory(RsInitConfig::configDir, lockFilePath);
 	if(retVal != 0)
 		return retVal;
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/GenCertDialog.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/GenCertDialog.cpp
index f0b2e860b..f1e31a767 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/GenCertDialog.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/GenCertDialog.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,8 @@ void GenCertDialog::checkChanged(int i)
 
 void GenCertDialog::loadCertificates()
 {
-	int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(false);
+    std::string lockFile;
+        int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(false, lockFile);
 	switch(retVal)
 	{
 		case 0: close();
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/StartDialog.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/StartDialog.cpp
index 4c3cc6eed..8c53dd3de 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/StartDialog.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/StartDialog.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ void StartDialog::loadPerson()
 void StartDialog::loadCertificates()
 {
 	/* Final stage of loading */
-	int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(ui.autologin_checkbox->isChecked());
+    std::string lockFile;
+    int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(ui.autologin_checkbox->isChecked(), lockFile);
 	switch(retVal)
 	{
 		case 0: close();
@@ -161,12 +162,14 @@ void StartDialog::loadCertificates()
 										tr("Multiple instances"),
 										tr("Another RetroShare using the same profile is "
 											"already running on your system. Please close "
-											"that instance first, or choose another profile") );
+                                                                                        "that instance first, or choose another profile\n"
+                                                                                        "lock file:\n ")+ QString::fromStdString(lockFile));
 				break;
 		case 2:	QMessageBox::warning(	this,
 										tr("Multiple instances"),
 										tr("An unexpected error occurred when Retroshare"
-											"tried to acquire the single instance lock") );
+                                                                                        "tried to acquire the single instance lock\n"
+                                                                                        "lock file:\n ")+ QString::fromStdString(lockFile));
 				break;
 		case 3: QMessageBox::warning(	this,
 										tr("Login Failure"),
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
index e9b691ab2..66dd28926 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
@@ -166,20 +166,23 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			}
 
 			// true: note auto-login is active
-			int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(true);
+                        std::string lockFile;
+                        int retVal = RsInit::LockAndLoadCertificates(true, lockFile);
 			switch(retVal)
 			{
 				case 0:	break;
 				case 1:	QMessageBox::warning(	0,
 												QObject::tr("Multiple instances"),
 												QObject::tr("Another RetroShare using the same profile is "
-															"already running on your system. Please close "
-															"that instance first") );
+                                                                                                                "already running on your system. Please close "
+                                                                                                                "that instance first\n Lock file:\n") +
+                                                                                                                QString::fromStdString(lockFile));
 						return 1;
 				case 2:	QMessageBox::critical(	0,
 												QObject::tr("Multiple instances"),
 												QObject::tr("An unexpected error occurred when Retroshare"
-															"tried to acquire the single instance lock") );
+                                                                                                                     "tried to acquire the single instance lock\n Lock file:\n") +
+                                                                                                                     QString::fromStdString(lockFile));
 						return 1;
 				case 3: QMessageBox::critical(	0,
 												QObject::tr("Login Failure"),