diff --git a/scripts/common.py b/scripts/common.py
index 1a3fbe51..1518f387 100644
--- a/scripts/common.py
+++ b/scripts/common.py
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ def load_database(db_path: str) -> dict:
     except FileNotFoundError:
         raise DatabaseUnreadable(
             f"{db_path} not found. Build it with: python scripts/generate_db.py "
-            "--force --bios-dir bios --output database.json"
+            f"--force --bios-dir bios --output {db_path}"
         ) from None
     except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
         raise DatabaseUnreadable(
             f"{db_path} is not valid JSON ({exc}). Rebuild it with: "
-            "python scripts/generate_db.py --force --bios-dir bios --output database.json"
+            f"python scripts/generate_db.py --force --bios-dir bios --output {db_path}"
         ) from None
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index eab09149..dc0f0790 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -5132,5 +5132,23 @@ class StrictFailsOnMissingOnly(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertNotIn("or rejected", verify_mod._exit_if_strict.__doc__)
 
 
+class TheRepairCommandWritesTheFileNamed(unittest.TestCase):
+    """--db nosuch.json said to rebuild with --output database.json: the
+    command wrote another file and the next run failed the same way."""
+
+    def test_the_command_names_the_path(self):
+        from scripts.common import DatabaseUnreadable, load_database
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=TMP_ROOT) as directory:
+            target = str(Path(directory) / "nosuch.json")
+            with self.assertRaises(DatabaseUnreadable) as caught:
+                load_database(target)
+            self.assertIn(f"--output {target}", str(caught.exception))
+            Path(target).write_text("{")
+            with self.assertRaises(DatabaseUnreadable) as caught:
+                load_database(target)
+            self.assertIn(f"--output {target}", str(caught.exception))
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()